From Angel's Eyes
by Kat097
Summary: Modern Day story. Christine Danes has lived the last few years of her life alone. But after getting a part in 'The Phantom of the Opera' she must choose between the two men in her life. She must choose between Erik and The Phantom. COMPLETE
1. Chapter One: Christine

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera etc. You can pretty much tell what I do and do not own.**

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter One**

To begin with, there wasn't much that you could say about Christine Danes. She was an ordinary girl, as ordinary as they came.

Only child, two parents, good student, responsible, reliable, friendly, cheerful.

And then came the day that had changed her life. She had been nineteen at the time. That day – March 18th, to be exact, but it hurt less to call it _that day_, it made it less real – turned what should have been another ordinary day in her ordinary life into a nightmare.

That was the day the car crashed.

She hadn't been with her parents. They had been driving home from a charity dinner. They weren't driving fast and the roads had been clear.

What they hadn't counted on was the drunk driver coming in the opposite direction. Both of her parents were killed on impact. The driver was taken to hospital but didn't make it through the night.

And Christine had had no idea. She was curled up on the sofa at home, watching television and wondering why her parents were so late when the phone rang. She had answered and heard a policewoman. Half an hour later, the police were on her doorstep and a woman – Christine couldn't remember what she looked like, it was too much of a blur – was telling her that there had been an accident.

After that, time had no meaning. The next few days, the funeral plans, visits from relatives, sympathy cards and flowers arriving, they all bled into each other. Time only came jolting back into a harsh reality at the funeral.

That was when the moment of pure clarity hit Christine. As she stared down at the two freshly covered graves, raindrops starting to fall lightly, the sky overhung with dark clouds, it struck her.

They were dead.

But still she couldn't cry. Not a tear was spilt. Her Aunt, Uncle and two cousins stayed with her for a few days and when the cousins were tucked up in bed, the family lawyer and her aunt and uncle sat down with her at the dining room table.

The lawyer, Michael Greeth, looked across at her.

"The will is simple enough. Everything belongs to you, Christine. You're nineteen, so you're legally responsible for yourself. Your parents stated that you could do what you wanted. You can stay in the house, or your aunt and uncle will take you in."

Christine shook her head.

"I… I can't move."

"Christine, I know you feel that way now but-" her Aunt Trisha began but Christine pressed on.

"I have roots here. Friends, university in a couple of months. I'm staying here."

Her aunt and uncle tried to persuade her to move, but she refused flatly. Eventually they settled for regular visits and telephone calls, as well as her presence on major holidays.

Once everyone had left, about a week later, Christine found herself alone in the large house. She walked the lonely rooms, and then went upstairs to her parents' bedroom. Her dog, Trister, was curled up on the bed, sleeping peacefully. Christine lay down beside him and wept for the first time since her parent's death.

Every day was harder than the last. Christine barely spoke and was often alone. Her best friend, Meg Grayson, was heartbroken by her friend's distress and often invited her to stay the night at her house. Sometimes Christine accepted, sometimes she didn't.

Death affects everyone in different ways. Christine's way of coping was to keep things the same as they were when her parents were alive. She didn't often go into their room, except to clean it occasionally. And after she had cleaned, everything went back to its rightful place, even down to leaving her mother's book on the bed by her pillow, the bookmark peeking out from the space where her mother had been reading before they had gone to dinner that day.

Wounds heal. It's a fact of nature. Things are bad for a while, but then they start to get better. It got easier to get up in the morning. Christine would often wake early to find Trister snuggled up under the blankets beside her. A routine was set. She would get up, shower, dress, eat breakfast whilst fixing her hair and take Trister for a run around the park. After that she would return home, study or go to class, depending on what day it was. Then, at lunchtime, she would either meet Meg for lunch or practise her music whilst chewing a sandwich. The afternoon would be filled with music, studying, classes and Trister usually got a second walk.

After dinner, which she either ate alone or with Meg and her mother, she would watch a little television, take Trister for another walk and lock the house up. Some reading, maybe a snack, and then bed.

The routine never altered. Until one day, two years later when she saw twenty-one, in her university music class, the teacher announced that they would be putting on a musical. Christine was only half listening until the teacher said cheerfully,

"_The Phantom of the Opera_! What do you think?"

They started to talk excitedly and Christine closed her notebook. The teacher held up a sheet.

"Sign up here, for the character you'll be auditioning for. Anyone who doesn't know what it's about, see me after class."

There was a rush as everyone ran at the sheet. Christine waited until the group had cleared and then made her way hesitantly to the sheet. Her teacher, Dr Carter, looked at her in surprise.

"You'd like to audition?"

"Yes. I know the musical well." Christine replied quietly. Dr Carter smiled.

"I didn't know you could sing. You've never sung in class before."

"I know… I'm a little… well, not really shy. I just find it easier if I'm not drawing attention to myself."

Dr Carter nodded sympathetically. Christine shook her head. She didn't want sympathy.

"I think I want to sing again."

"Certainly. Which part?"

"Christine." She said firmly. Dr Carter looked hesitant.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. That's the only part I'd want to audition for." Christine said firmly. Dr Carter nodded and wrote her name down.

"I'll see you tomorrow, you can audition then."

"Thank you, Dr Carter."

Christine went outside and found Meg waiting for her.

"Hey. What's up?" Meg said cheerfully. Christine shook her head.

"Not much. I'm hungry, I think I'll head home. Want to come?"

"Sure."

They climbed into Christine's car. It was a pretty good car, but bought second-hand. Although her parents had left her quite a lot of money, Christine was careful not to squander it. She was better off than most University Students. She had a prepaid home, she had paid her fees in advance and was able to support herself. Christine was aware that more than a few students had dropped out because of money issues.

As they drove back to Christine's house, Meg talked happily and then said,

"And guess who I saw today?"

"Who?" Christine said, not in the least interested.

"Can't remember his name. The really cute guy. Richard something? The one who asked you out a couple of years ago."

"Richard Cragney."

"That's the one! Why did you turn him down anyway?" Meg asked curiously. Christine shook her head mutely.

"It was just after… after. I didn't want anyone hanging around, really. I could barely put up with the hour-on-hour phone calls from Aunt Trisha."

Meg nodded.

"Anyway, he asked after you."

"Oh?" Christine said disinterestedly.

"Yeah. I wonder if he'll call you."

"I don't know." Christine said, pulling into the driveway. She put the handbrake on and took off her seatbelt. As she opened the door, Trister came running at them, barking excitedly. Christine smiled rubbing his head.

"Hey Trister. Do you want to go out?"

Trister wasn't a particularly big dog, his head coming to just above Christine's knee. He was mostly white, with brown patches, large floppy ears and a long tail that just never seemed to stop wagging. Christine often joked that he was stupid, since he spent a lot of time running into things, but he seemed a lot cleverer than she gave him credit for. Especially when she discovered that he had found out how to open the refrigerator, meaning she'd had to put child locks on it,

She went to the back door and let him out into the fenced garden. He ran out at several birds, sending them flying, barking madly. Meg laughed and followed Christine to the kitchen.

"What do you want? I can do omelettes, if you want." Christine said. Meg nodded.

"Sounds good."

Christine set about preparing food and Meg poured them both cokes. Eventually Meg said,

"Want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Christine asked, putting the omelettes onto two plates.

"Whatever it is that's got you quieter than usual." She looked up and saw Meg watching her with a slight frown, chewing her lip. Christine smiled slightly.

"It's nothing. I… I'm just auditioning for a musical tomorrow. It's going to be practised over the summer, to be performed at the end of August."

"Really? That's great! What musical?"

"_The Phantom of the Opera_."

Meg grinned.

"Let me guess – you're going for Christine?"

"Hmm." Christine made the noise non-committal but Meg laughed.

"This is great! It's just what you need. It'll keep you busy and get you back into your music and everything!"

"I might not get it."

"'Course you will. You'll blow them away."

"I haven't sung in public for so long…"

"You'll be amazing. In fact, when we've finished lunch, you're going to go and practise whilst I take Trister for a walk." Meg said authoritatively.

Once Meg had gone with Trister, Christine pushed open the door to the music room. Both of her parents had been musicians, and the room was filled with records, CD's, sheet music, music books and a variety of instruments. And in the centre of it all was the piano.

Christine sat down at the beautiful instrument and ran her hands across the keys, listening and taking pleasure in the perfect sound that came from it. She started to warm up her voice. She practised singing everyday. Just because she didn't want other people to hear her, didn't mean that she wanted to become out of practise.

She began on _Think of Me_, singing clearly as she played, taking delight in the clarity of her voice, making sure to pronounce the words properly, just as her mother had taught her.

She didn't notice when Meg came back and stood in the doorway, grinning. Christine played the last part of the song and looked up. Meg applauded.

"No doubt. You're going to get it."

"Let's not be presumptuous." Christine added. Meg made a dismissive sound.

"Have a little faith. You'll be great."

The phone started to ring and Christine answered it as they went back to the kitchen where Trister was thirstily lapping water from his bowl.

"Hello?"

"It's Trisha. How are you?"

"Hi Trisha. I'm fine, how's Uncle Jack?"

"He's well enough, and the girls are good too."

Formalities out of the way, Trisha asked,

"Have you considered the offer about the holiday?"

"Yes, but I think I'm going to have to say no. I'm auditioning for a part in a musical tomorrow, and if I get it I'll be busy with rehearsals."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful, Christine! We'll come and see you."

"If I get the part."

"And if you don't, you can come on holiday with us anyway! It's really a win-win situation." Trisha said delightedly. Christine smiled slightly.

"I guess so."

Meg gestured that she was leaving and Christine nodded as Trisha asked about the house.

"Everything's fine. I don't use half of the rooms. It's easy to keep it all clean and organised."

"I really wish you'd get a smaller place. I don't like the idea of you being alone in a house that size." Trisha admitted. Christine tilted her head to trap the phone between her ear and shoulder as she started to move the dirty lunch dishes to the sink.

"It's fine, really. I couldn't bear to live anywhere else. Besides, it's close to university and there's plenty of room for me and Trister."

Trisha made a disapproving noise but said,

"If you think so. Oh, I've got to run, there's someone at the door. We'll organise a visit soon."

"OK. Bye."

She ended the call and placed the phone on the cradle, washing the dishes and humming along to the radio. Trister watched her from his basket, where he was curled up. Christine smiled at him.

"We're OK. Aren't we, Trister? We're OK."

**A/N: This is very much just** **setting up the scene. Not very interesting but bear with me! **


	2. Chapter Two: Erik and the Phantom

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Two**

Christine sat at the back of the theatre, watching the other performers. She sat alone. She didn't really know the people in her class that well and rarely spoke to them.

Dr Carter climbed onto the stage and clapped his hands to get their attention.

"Settle down please, we've got a lot to get through." Dr Carter looked around and said,

"But before we begin, I'd like to introduce the man who is funding our summer musical. Mr Erik Destler."

He clapped his hands and everyone else applauded as a man dressed in black stood by the door. Either this guy was a little eccentric or he really loved the show, Christine thought wryly, because he wore a white mask over the right side of his face. He looked around at them without smiling and the man he was stood with, clearly an employee, smiled only briefly. Dr Carter looked around at the students.

"Mr Destler has generously donated to the musical and is very interested to oversee the rehearsals and backstage details. I hope you will all make him feel welcome and make sure that his time is not wasted. And on that front, we'll start the auditions."

"Who's going to be judging?" A girl called Rebecca Griffins asked. She was a good singer, one of the best. Probably Christine's main competition for the part she wanted, she noted with a frown.

"Myself, Mr Destler and Mr Khan." Dr Carter said, gesturing to himself and the two men who had now sat at the table.

Once they were settled, Dr Carter looked down at his sheet and gestured to Rebecca.

"Why don't you go first?"

Christine listened to the auditions without a word. She chewed her lip idly, wondering when her turn would come. As she waited, her eyes wandered to Erik Destler. What was behind the mask? Actual scars or simply an obsessive Andrew Lloyd Webber fan? The other side of his face was good looking, his jaw strong and his eyes a startling shade of green, the kind that you don't really expect to see on a real person. His dark, almost black, hair was brushed back and smoothed down. He watched the auditions with only a half-interested expression on his face. Dr Carter looked around at the remaining students. There were only a few left to audition, but most had stayed behind to watch the competition they were facing.

"Now… who shall we have next?" he said aloud and glanced over at Erik Destler. He looked around and he met Christine's eyes. She held his gaze for a moment and then lowered her eyes. Erik nodded at her.

"Who is that?"

"Christine Danes."

"Let her sing." Erik said calmly, turning back to the stage. Dr Carter looked surprised but called to Christine. The other students started to talk curiously as their withdrawn classmate made her way to the stage.

"What song are you going to perform, Christine?" Mr Khan asked. Christine said quietly,

"_Think of Me_. I thought more people would be doing that one."

Very few people had performed this, which had surprised her. She'd thought it would have been the favourite. The only other person who Christine knew had sung it was Rebecca, who was now watching her with narrowed eyes.

Christine took a deep, calming breath as the introduction began and fixed her eyes on the large clock at the back of the theatre as she started to sing. Her classmates sat up in surprise. Dr Carter's jaw dropped and he stared at his student.

Nadir Khan cast a sideways look at his employer. A slight frown had crossed his forehead and he sat up to attention, for the first time that day. His eyes were fixed on the slight figure that stood before him, listening to the pure sound echoing around the theatre.

Christine felt her soul lifting as she sang. A bubble of joy welled up inside her, on the verge of erupting at any second as she let the song flow from her. She closed her eyes as she sang, allowing herself to smile.

The final part of the song came and she opened her eyes. They met the bright green ones of Erik Destler as she began to sing the operatic scales of the final bars. In an eruption of beauty and song she pelted out the last two words of the song.

Silence. Christine felt her heart sink and she turned to make her way from the stage. And then the applause started.

"That was _amazing_!"

"I didn't know she could sing like that!"

"She's got to be Christine, she's great!"

Christine made her way back to her seat at the back of the theatre and sat down to listen to the final few auditions, keeping her face carefully blank. But inside she was laughing with delight. This was all she had wanted. Just to sing, and she had done it well. Why shouldn't she feel a little pleased with herself?

After the final audition, the three judges went out to a little office to discuss the cast. Christine reached into her bag and took out a bottle of water, drinking it slowly. A boy from class, she didn't know his name, grinned across at her. He had dark brown hair and very blue eyes, as well as a cheerful grin.

"That was fantastic, Christine."

"Thank you." she said, smiling slightly. He held out his hand.

"Max Hodges. Auditioning for the Phantom."

"Christine. For Christine." She said, shaking his hand.

"You've got to get it, you were amazing."

Christine smiled, only a little smile, but one all the same. Then Rebecca spoke up.

"Don't get your hopes up, Danes. I'm going for Christine too." Christine looked over at her and the class fell silent, wanting to listen.

"I'm not making any assumptions. I hope I get the part, but if I don't it'll be because the better singer got it." Christine said quietly.

"In which case, you might as well leave right now." Rebecca said smugly. Max looked at her crossly.

"Shut up, Rebecca. No one knows who's getting which part yet."

They were interrupted by the return of the judges. Everyone sat to attention, eager to hear the results. Dr Carter smiled around at them.

"Well done, everyone. That was quite a display of talent. But we have made our decisions as to the cast."

He first read out the names of the minor characters. Applause followed each name and Christine saw lots of people hugging and grinning in delight. She tilted her head as more names were read.

"And finally, our top four people. Carlotta, Raoul, Christine and the Phantom." Dr Carter said ominously. Christine sat up, twisting her hands in her lap, mentally preparing herself for disappointment.

"Raoul will be played by Tom Sutherland." Dr Carter announced. Tom shouted, "Yes!" and punched the air, much to the amusement of his friends. Christine smiled slightly. He was a nice enough guy, he deserved the chance.

"The Phantom will be played by Max Hodges." Max grinned happily and Christine offered him a smile.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks! Wow, this rocks!" Max said delightedly. Dr Carter waited for the applause to die down.

"Carlotta will be played by Rebecca Griffins."

Rebecca's mouth fell open in disbelief. Not the good kind of disbelief. But before she could make a remark Dr Carter smiled and said,

"And Christine will be played by none other than our very own Christine Danes."

Christine stared at him in amazement as the rest of the class applauded her.

"Me? Really?"

"Yes, you. Now, if Christine, Max and Tom would stay behind for a moment, the rest of you will need to be back here tomorrow morning at ten for a script run through. Congratulations everyone."

Christine turned to pick up her bag, but it was knocked onto the ground by Rebecca as she passed furiously. Christine glared after her and bent to pick up her things. Max helped her.

"Isn't this fantastic?"

"It's great." Christine agreed with a smile. They made their way to the front of the room, by the stage, where the three judges and Tom were waiting for them.

"Congratulations, you three. You're going to make great characters." Dr Carter smiled at them. Mr Khan said,

"We were all very impressed with your performances. Mr Destler and I will be taking an active part in the production of the show and want to work with each of you individually."

He handed them each a thick book of the score.

"Here's your music. Have a glance through, although you seem to know it well already. Well done, all three of you. We want you three here at nine tomorrow, just to get a quick practise in so we can see how you work together."

Christine took the score and looked down at the black cover, with the white mask lying in the corner, a red rose beside it. She smiled slightly. This was good. This was very good.

"Any questions? Then off you go." Mr Khan said pleasantly. Dr Carter said,

"Christine, a word?"

She waited with the three judges as Max and Tom left, talking cheerfully. Dr Carter waited until the boys were gone before saying,

"Christine, that was an extremely impressive audition. Why have you never sung in class before?"

"It… it just didn't feel right. I know that sounds a little silly, but my mother was the one who taught me how to sing and I just… I felt I had to keep it to myself." She said, trying to explain how she felt.

"What made you change your mind?" Erik Destler asked quietly. She looked at him and shrugged slightly.

"I'm not sure. I just wanted to sing again."

"I'm glad you did. We'll see you tomorrow." Mr Khan said kindly. Christine nodded and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she glanced back. Mr Khan and Dr Carter were talking busily, but Erik Destler's eyes were on her. Christine hesitated and the pushed open the door, looking down at the cover of the score.

_Why can't the past just die?_

_

* * *

_

Sat in the living room of her house, Christine flipped through the score, although she knew most of it off by heart. This was going to be good for her, she knew that much. This would help her. And she was going to enjoy it. She would make herself enjoy it if she had to.

Trister rubbed his head against her knee, looking for attention. Christine bent down and hugged him, kissing the top of his soft head.

"See? Things are getting better. This is just what I needed, Meg was right. But let's not tell her that."

Trister simply flopped down by her feet and began to lick his paw. Christine smiled and settled back on the sofa to read the score again.

* * *

Erik Destler half listened to Nadir Khan as he read out the schedule for the rest of the day. Nadir paused.

"Erik?"

"What?"

"Have you heard a word that I just said?"

"No." Erik knew there was no point lying. Nadir knew him too well. His employee sighed and closed the diary.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I'm simply thinking about the musical."

This was a puzzle to Nadir. His withdrawn, crowd hating boss suddenly deciding to take an active role in the community and put on a university musical. Still, Erik Destler was rich enough to be as eccentric as he wanted. Most people assumed that was why he wore the mask. Nadir knew differently.

"I think it will be rather good. Tom and Max were both very good and Christine Danes was…"

"Perfect." Erik said quietly. Nadir cast him a glance.

"Yes. I suppose she was."

Silence settled between them and then Erik said,

"Go through the schedule again. What have we got at four?"

* * *

After Trister's walk the next morning, Christine climbed into her car, the score in her bag beside her and began the drive to the theatre. It was a little early, but she wanted to avoid the traffic and arrived at the theatre at 8:25.

To her surprise, the doors to the theatre were already open. She went to the theatre room and paused by the door as she heard voices. She pushed open the door and saw Doctor Carter and Mr Khan talking, both of them holding a copy of the score. They looked at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry I'm so early." She said.

"Oh, don't be. Just shows your enthusiasm." Mr Khan said cheerfully. Christine smiled briefly, taking her score out of her bag.

"Do you already know the music?" Mr Khan asked. Christine nodded.

"I was brought up around music."

Dr Carter cleared his throat.

"Why don't you start warming up, Christine?" She nodded and started towards the piano. But before she could sit down Erik Destler appeared beside her and sat at the keys, starting to play. His eyes met hers and she began to sing a scale.

When Tom and Max arrived, Christine was sat at the piano whilst Erik, Nadir and Dr Carter discussed something. She was frowning slightly as she played, her fingers stumbling over the same piece. A frustrated grunt escaped her and she began to play again. Max crossed to her.

"Everything OK?" He asked and she glared at the score.

"It would be if I could play this bar." She muttered.

Max bent down and played it quickly. Christine glanced up at him, half annoyed, half amused.

"No one likes a show off."

"Try it again." Christine placed her hands on the keys and played. Yet again her fingers missed the notes and she ground her teeth. Max sat down beside her.

"Try calming down a bit. You're a bit tense."

She followed his advice, breathing deeply. Max placed his hands on top of hers and guided them, playing the tune slowly. Christine looked at him in surprise.

"How did you do that?"

"Dunno. Try it again, without me." Christine did so and the piece came out perfectly. She eyed him.

"Now you really are showing off." He laughed.

"I do my best."

They were interrupted by Dr Carter, who said,

"Christine and Tom, do _All I Ask Of You_. I want to see how your voices mesh. Mr Destler, if you would?" Erik sat at the piano and began to play. Christine placed her score on the music stand and Tom stood opposite her, facing her. As he began to sing, Christine followed his lines in the book and came in perfectly on her cue.

Max perched on the edge of the stage, watching happily. His eyes wandered over Christine and he smiled to himself. But what were the chances that she would want to go out with him? Not likely. He knew for a fact that she hadn't dated anyone for at least four years. In fact, he knew a lot about her. He wasn't stalking her or anything, but you could pick up a lot from just watching a person occasionally.

"That was excellent." Dr Carter said as they finished the song. He looked over at Max.

"_The Phantom of the Opera_. Let's see how you get on." Max swapped places with Tom and grinned at Christine. She returned it with a faint smile and flipped through the score to find the right page, brushing a curly brown lock of hair behind her ear. Erik Destler began to play the ominous sounding song and Christine waited for the cue, lifting her eyes to meet Max's. This song was all about electricity, she knew that. She wanted to see if Max knew it as well.

His sky blue eyes met hers and she saw the smile had faded from his face, to be replaced with a look of pure intensity. How strange, she thought, that the cheerful nature could so easily be wiped away. Her moment arrived and she began to sing in a low, mysterious voice. Her eyes were fixed on Max's and when he began to sing, it sent a slight shiver down her spine.

The only time she took her eyes off his was when she turned the pages and he did the same. And then the moment came for her to sing that strange section at the end of the song, the peculiar scales of falling and lifting notes. Christine lifted her face as she sang, concentrating on the notes.

Erik didn't watch the music as he played. His eyes were fixed on her face, the slight crease across her forehead as she sang, the graceful fall of her hair around her face, the pure, sweet sound emanating from her mouth.

The song ended and she looked to him for a verdict. That surprised him. He'd thought that she would look to Doctor Carter but her eyes were fixed on him. He nodded briefly and she gave a tiny smile, looking back down at her score.

* * *

By the time the rest of the class arrived, Tom and Max, who had been digging through the props, had found a pair of swords and were now fencing around the room. Not really though, as neither of them knew how. Christine snorted as Max lunged forward and missed. He glanced at her.

"Suppose you could do better?"

"I've been fencing since I was five." She told him.

"Really? Show us!" Tom said. Christine hesitated and said,

"Well, there's no one to fence with."

"Mr Destler knows how to fence. Perhaps you could provide us with a brief performance." Mr Khan smiled, having been listening in amusement to their conversation. Christine glanced over at Erik who looked nonplussed. She shrugged.

"Well… OK."

She dug in her bag and took out a hair clip, pushing her hair back out of her face, taking her jacket off to reveal a simple black sun top over jeans beneath it. She took the sword from Max and Tom handed his to Erik.

They went onto opposite sides of the stage and Max started to cheer and applaud. Christine rolled her eyes and Erik bowed politely. She returned the gesture and Erik asked,

"How long have you been fencing, did you say?"

"For nearly seventeen years." Christine replied, lifting the sword. Erik lifted the eyebrow that she could see and asked,

"Shall I hold back?"

"Please don't." she replied haughtily, slightly insulted. A moment he lunged at her. She stepped swiftly out of the way and lifted the sword to meet his with a clear _clang_. A gasp echoed around the room as they circled each other, the swords still touching. Christine decided to move first, swinging the swords around and lunging. Erik met each blow with his sword, pushing her advances away. She stepped back, lifting her sword, a smile gracing her lips. Erik smirked.

"You fight well."

"So do you." she replied.

They began to parry again, as quick as lightening, the crashing of the swords making the audience gasp in wonder. Erik let his defence slip slightly, tempting her. He knew she would take advantage of it, and she did. She thrust forward and he brought his sword up quickly. She gasped as her sword was thrown from her grasp. It fell to the opposite side of the stage and Erik lifted his sword to point it at her chest. His smirk irritated her slightly and she ducked under the blade, and with a rather impressive display of gymnastics, managed to jump past him, pick her sword up and bring it swinging around to meet his.

A cheer went up from some of the students and Christine allowed herself a grin. Erik lifted his eyebrows in surprise but parried her advancing swings and lunges, more entertained than worried about who would win and Christine felt no need to make it anymore competitive than it already was. She was simply enjoying herself.

A quick thrust, Erik stepped back and Christine swung the sword down at his legs. He jumped with surprising agility and when he landed, he lifted the sword to press against her neck, only to find her blade at his ribs.

_Checkmate._

A round of applause and Erik said calmly,

"A draw?"

"I believe so." Christine said pleasantly and withdrew her blade. Erik lowered his own and bowed. Christine did the same and he caught her hand, kissing it lightly.

"A pleasure, mademoiselle."

Christine lifted her eyebrows in surprise and smiled slightly. Dr Carter smiled at them both and said,

"Well, that was wonderfully entertaining! Now, let's start warming up everyone and we'll go through a few things."

Christine took her seat and picked up her score. But as she did, she risked a quick glance at Erik. His eyes were fixed on her and she smiled briefly before returning to the music.

**A/N: I hope this chapter cleared a few things up ** **I've got to say, I'm mega-nervous about this story. Especially after the reaction I got to 'Cold, Cold Heart'. So, yeah, hoping I can live up to expectations. If not, I don't care! I write for me. **

** Also, about my spelling. Stuff like practise, which was pointed out, that's not me making mistakes. That's me and my English-ness. Yup, I'm an English gal, and we spell things differently. Like sticking random 'u's into words. Just so you know  
**


	3. Chapter Three Music of the Night

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Three**

The rehearsal that morning was filled with a brief run through of the plot and the placement of the songs. The class was to spend half of the session reading through the score, and the other half going through the way it would be brought to life on stage. The music class had joined with the dance class, and several volunteers for the backstage work. Christine was impressed with the enthusiasm with which everyone worked.

Doctor Carter ended the rehearsal at one pm with a big grin.

"I'm impressed people. Let's keep this enthusiasm going, OK? Now go and relax for a bit. I'll see you tomorrow, same time."

Christine reached for her jacket. Max picked it up first and handed it to her.

"Hey Christine. A group of us are heading out to get some lunch. Want to come with?" Christine smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, I need to get home."

"Oh… OK. Another time?" He asked hopefully. Christine smiled.

"Maybe another time. I'll see you tomorrow." She went to the piano, where she had left her score. Erik was glancing through his sheet music and she said,

"Thank you, Mr Destler, for helping me this morning."

"I am here for a reason, Miss Danes." He said, a slight smirk on his mouth. She smiled slightly.

"Well, thank you for the fight then."

"For that, you are welcome. It was rather enjoyable." He replied. Her smile widened and she picked up her score and went to the door.

As she unlocked her car, she saw a group of students heading out, Max among them. He waved at her and she lifted her own hand in greeting before climbing into the car. She started to drive away, but as she did she found her mind wandering to a pair of bright green eyes.

* * *

Meg came over whilst Christine was in the back garden, pulling up weeds. She came through the back gate and grinned at her.

"Having fun?"

"The time of my life." Christine said, sitting up with a smile. Trister bounded over to her and head butted her in the side. She let out an '_oof'_ of surprise as the air rushed out of her chest and she fell sideways, Trister perched on her. Meg laughed and helped her up.

"How did rehearsals go?"

"It was fine. I think this is going to be really fun." Christine said as they went inside. Meg wiped a streak of dirt from her friend's cheek and smiled.

"You need to have a little fun. Do you want to go and see a movie tonight?"

Christine hesitated and said,

"Let's not overload the fun just yet."

"OK, no problem. I'm sure there's some cute guy somewhere who's just waiting for me to come along." Meg said dramatically.

"Just keep telling yourself that." Christine teased, "Besides, I need to go shopping. I'm almost completely out of food."

"Urgh, I hate food shopping! Shopping isn't shopping unless it comes with shoes. I'll see you later." Meg grinned. Christine waved goodbye and went to find her purse. Trister barked excitedly and she sighed.

"I _just_ took you for a walk."

He simply wagged his tail and looked at her with brown eyes that seemed twice as large as normal.

"Don't give me that look, Trister!" she groaned. He nudged her hand with his nose and she gave in.

"Oh, _fine._ But you'll have to wait outside the shop, because I'm not taking you in!"

That dog was far more intelligent than she gave him credit for, she thought sulkily.

* * *

Once Trister was safely tied to the railings outside the shop, Christine went in and picked up a basket. She made her way around the shop, picking up the things she needed, pausing to consider buying something, sometimes deciding to, sometimes not. It was as ritualistic as always and she knew exactly what she needed and what she didn't. She wondered vaguely what it was like to be spontaneous.

She looked down the music aisle and decided to see what they had in. Occasionally they brought in a classical CD or two; maybe they'd have something good. She wandered down, past other shoppers and examined the CD display. There was a new CD and she reached for it, to have a look at what it boasted. But someone else reached for it at the same time. Christine looked around and smiled, surprised.

"Mr Khan."

"Hello Christine. Tempted by that?" He nodded at the CD with a smile. Christine shrugged.

"I just wanted to see what was on it." She handed it to him and took another copy from the shelf. It looked rather inviting and Nadir Khan said,

"Erik sent me out to buy it."

"Is he not here?"

"In the car park. He doesn't care for crowds."

Christine could have guessed that. She looked down at the CD's cover and then put it into her basket.

"I think I'll get it." She said.

"Heading for the till? I'll accompany you." Nadir said graciously. They started the walk to the opposite side of the store.

"That's a lot of food." He said, glancing at the basket. Christine smiled slightly.

"Hmm. I'm stocking up for the week. It's just easier than running out every day for more food."

"I hope you brought a car, that's going to be heavy to get home."

"No, I walked." Christine said as they reached the till.

Once her food was bagged up, she found she had four heavy bags, plus a dog to take home. Perhaps she should have brought the car, she thought regretfully. Nadir looked at her in amusement.

"Would you care for a lift?"

"Oh, I couldn't-" She began.

"Nonsense, it's no trouble." Nadir insisted. Christine smiled.

"I brought my dog, he's outside. He'll get dog hair all over the car."

"Not a problem. Come along."

They went outside and a large black car, with blacked out windows pulled up. The backseat window rolled down and Erik Destler's face appeared.

"Miss Danes." He acknowledged her and she smiled politely. Nadir opened the car door and took Christine's shopping from her.

"We'll give Miss Danes a lift home, if you don't mind."

"Of course not." Erik said, sliding along the seat. Christine bent down to untie Trister who jumped excitedly into the car. When Christine climbed in she found Trister on her seat and shooed him down, brushing the white hairs from the chair anxiously. She sat down opposite Erik, who asked,

"Where to?"

"Jameson Street, please." Christine said, a little awed.

"Jameson Street, Thompson." Erik said to the driver, who nodded. Erik reached across, pulled the car door shut and the car set off.

"Who is this?" Nadir asked, smiling down at Trister, who was resting his head on Christine's knee.

"That's Trister."

"What a charming animal." Nadir said, patting the dog's head. Trister rubbed his face against Nadir's legs and flopped down at their feet, panting in the warm car. Erik looked at Nadir.

"Did you get it?"

"Of course." He handed the CD to Erik who looked at it. "Miss Danes also bought a copy."

"You did?" Erik said, turning his green eyes on her.

"Yes, they don't often have CD's this good so I buy them when I can." Christine explained. Erik placed the CD into a case on the seat beside him and considered Christine. Nadir was looking out of the window.

"This is a nice neighbourhood. It must cost a lot to live here, especially for a student."

"I own my own house."

"Really?" He asked, clearly surprised. Christine nodded and he asked, "You live with a flatmate?"

"No. It's just me and Trister. My… my parents passed away a couple of years ago. It was left to me."

"Ah. My apologies." Nadir said, somewhat awkwardly. Christine shook her head.

"No point in tiptoeing around the subject. It won't bring them back."

"How did it happen?" That was Erik. Christine looked at him and said quietly,

"It was a car crash. The other driver was drunk."

"How terrible…" Nadir said. Christine shrugged slightly.

"Life goes on, as they say. I just… just got on with things. What else can you really do?"

"The best approach. Hopefully being in the musical will also help." Nadir said.

"I think it will. I love _The_ _Phantom of the Opera_."

"I can see that." Erik said quietly.

Christine smiled slightly and glanced out of the window. Thompson, the driver, asked,

"What house number, Miss?"

"Forty two, please." Christine said and the car set off. Trister jumped onto her lap to peer out of the window. When they reached her house Christine opened the door and Trister ran off to the front door. She picked up her shopping bags and smiled at the two men.

"Thank you for the lift. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Indeed you shall. Goodbye, Miss Danes." Erik said, holding the door open for her. Christine set off up the front path and turned to lift a hand in farewell. Erik returned the gesture and rolled up the window, watching as Christine unlocked her front door and let herself and the dog in. The door closed and Thompson started to drive.

Nadir Khan glanced across at Erik and said,

"A charming girl."

"Indeed she is." Erik said in an even tone.

"What a pity about her parents. That's a large house for just one person." He commented, looking back at the house as they pulled away. "But she seems to cope well."

"Hmm." Erik said, in a noncommittal tone.

* * *

She got to the theatre early again the next day. Today the room was empty. She supposed the three men were in the office and sat on the side of the stage with her score, wondering if she should warm up. After a moment she crossed to the piano and began her scales, humming and singing in alteration. Then she opened the score to _Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again_. Her eyes flickered over the notes and lyrics and then she closed the book.

That subject was a little too close to home to be sung about just yet. Instead she opened _Angel of Music_ and began to play that instead, singing clearly and sweetly.

Erik stood in the doorway, hidden by a curtain, listening in pure joy at the sound that made his heart weep. He glanced through a gap in the velvet curtains. She concentrated on her music, a slight smile touching her lips as she sang. He was about to go to her when a pair of hands slid around her eyes and she stopped playing.

Max. Curse him. Erik glowered at him from behind the curtain.

Christine hesitated as the voice said,

"Guess who?"

"The Phantom of the Opera?" She said, in a humoured voice. Max sat down beside her on the bench.

"Close enough. You're here early."

"I didn't want to hit the traffic."

"Good idea. I'm close enough to walk here. Is there no one else here yet?" He looked around and Christine said,

"I think Dr Carter is in the office, with Mr Khan and Mr Destler." Max nodded and grinned at her sideways.

"So about Mr Destler… what do you reckon? Deformed or just really keen on getting into character? I mean, what's with the mask?"

Erik could have stormed out then and there and struck the young man, but he was rather interested to hear what Christine had to say. To his delight she took her hands from the keys and looked at Max crossly.

"That's hardly fair, Max. Even if he is… _different_ under the mask, there's no need to gossip about it. After all the work and money he's putting into the show, I just hope no one demands to see what's underneath. It's his business, not ours."

"OK, OK!" He put his hands up in surrender. Christine sighed.

"Sorry."

"Nah, its fine. Besides, he might just be a little eccentric. And from what I've heard, he can afford to be as eccentric as he wants. He's a millionaire or something like that."

Billionaire actually, Erik thought wryly, but who was he to boast?

Christine shrugged and said thoughtfully,

"I wonder why he's decided to take an interest in our musical though… surely someone like him has far better things to do."

"Hey, I'm not complaining. I've always wanted to perform onstage." Max said cheerfully. Christine looked down at her score.

"So have I." she said softly.

Erik frowned slightly, watching her. Her eyes were focused on nothing and she was frowning slightly. Max waved a hand in front of her eyes.

"Still awake?"

"Just about." She started to play again, her hands dancing over the keys. A few minutes later Tom arrived and the three of them sat on the stage, waiting for the three producers. Tom and Max talked cheerfully and Christine sat listening.

When Nadir, Erik and Dr Carter emerged, the three performers stood up.

"Good morning. How are you all?" They all replied that they were well and Dr Carter said,

"We're going to go for a complete run-through with the main cast members this morning, whilst the extra's get some dancing instructions. Mr Destler will take Max and Christine to the studio, whilst Mr Khan and Tom go through the stage movements. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads. Christine picked up her bag and followed Erik out of the main room to a smaller room along a corridor. Erik placed his score on a surface and turned to look at the two students. He considered them for a moment and then said,

"_The__Music of the Night_. I want you to sing it, but do the actions as well. Show me what you have in mind for it please, Mr Hodges."

"Well, I haven't really thought about…" Max began, a little awkwardly. Erik leant against the surface and folded his arms.

"What is happening in this song?"

"The phantom is trying to seduce Christine." Max guessed.

"_No_!"

Both Christine and Max jumped at Erik's tone. He looked at Max angrily.

"He is _not_ trying to seduce her. He's trying to make her fall in love with him. It's completely different. He wants to show her his world. And the only world he knows is the night and the music hidden in it. _That_ is what the phantom is doing in this song, Mr Hodges."

He turned and pulled a chair out, placing it in front of him.

"Miss Danes, this is the boat. Sit please." Christine obliged and Erik moved Max to another part of the room.

"You will stand here when you start. You are the Phantom of the Opera. Look at Christine. _Look _at her!"

Max looked over at Christine. She sat, watching them with interest and a set amount of uncertainty. Erik stood behind Max and said,

"You are in love with her. More than in love. You are _devoted_. Infatuated. You cannot imagine a world without her. If you don't have her with you, you will simply fade into nothingness. This is your one chance to make her love you. Don't ruin it."

He marched over to a record player and set it playing. The introduction to _The Music of the Night_ began to play. Max was clearly doing his best to get into character, but never made it more than a few lines in before Erik would snap at him to stop. Eventually Max grew irritated and said,

"Why don't you do it? If I see how you want it done, maybe I could do it myself!"

Erik considered him for a moment and then waved him to one side. So far Christine hadn't actually managed to climb out of her 'boat'. Erik glanced at Max.

"Play the song, please."

The music began and Erik set his eyes on Christine. She felt a cold finger run down the length of her spine but didn't move. He began to sing in a low voice that made Christine's breath freeze in her chest. As he sang he began to move slowly around the room, as though stepping around objects, but keeping on course for her.

_Night time sharpens_

_Heightens each sensation_

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination_

_Silently the senses abandon the defences_

He reached her and held out his hand. Christine didn't hesitate but took it and rose to her feet. Stepping backwards, so his eyes were fixed on hers, he continued to sing, his voice becoming louder, but no less sensual.

_Slowly, gently _

_Night unfurls its splendour_

_Grasp it, sense it_

_Tremulous and tender_

His hand released hers and lifted to cup her cheek. He gently turned her face to one side, away from Max.

_Turn your face away_

_From the garish light of day_

_Turn your thoughts away _

_From cold, unfeeling light_

His hand touched her chin and lifted her face to look into his. As he sang the next line he stepped back, spreading his arms, inviting her to explore his deep, dark world.

_And listen to the Music of the Night_

Christine watched him breathlessly, closing her eyes when he commanded it, pulling her gently forward as he sang imploringly. Erik came to a stop, drawing her into his arms, brushing her hair back from her face as her eyes slowly opened.

_Close your eyes and surrender_

_To your darkest dreams_

_Purge all thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Close your eyes_

_Let your spirit start to soar_

_And you'll live as you've never lived before_

She stared up at him, lips parted, eyes entranced. As he began the next section he twirled her around, pulling her to his chest. Her head turned to one side as his hands fell to her waist, her own hands over his. He sang softly, intimately, his eyes gazing on her face.

_Softly, deftly_

_Music shall caress you_

_Hear it, feel it_

_Secretly possess you_

_Open up your mind_

_Let your fantasies unwind_

_In this darkness_

_That you know you cannot fight_

_The darkness of the music of the night_

He released her and ran a few steps up to where the organ would be on the stage. Christine turned, watching him. He sang clearly, inviting her to come closer, daring her to step towards him.

_Let your mind start to journey to a strange new world_

_Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Let your soul take you where you long to be_

He held out a hand for hers and sang softly.

_Only then can you belong to me_

He pulled her to him once again, facing the front of the room, where the audience would be sat if they were on the stage. One hand rested on her hip, the other taking her hand in his and lifting it to his face, pressing her fingers against his unmasked cheek.

_Floating, falling_

_Sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me_

_Savour each sensation_

He turned her slowly to face him, holding her face with one hand, the other still clutching her hand, holding it to his chest, his heart.

_Let the dream begin_

_Let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power of the music of the night_

A triumphant crescendo as Erik guided Christine to where the mannequin would be standing on the stage. He made the pretence of drawing back a curtain and after a quick nod at Christine, she pretended to faint. Erik swiftly caught her before she hit the ground and carried her to wear a bed would be. Two chairs were placed there for now and he laid her on them, kneeling beside her and tracing the outline of her face with a gloved hand.

_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help me make the music of the night_

Silence. Christine tentatively opened her eyes and saw Erik still staring down at her. And then he straightened and looked over at Max who was staring, dumbfounded.

"And that, Mr Hodges, is what I expect of you. From the beginning please."

**A/N: I really haven't been making things very clear – Raoul will not be in this story. Well, Raoul will be. But the Raoul character (Richard) won't be. I just felt I had to stick him in somewhere. This is very much a Max/Erik/Christine thing. Also, Erik is thirty-one in this story. **

** As for 'A Defensive Situation' I _will_ update that soon. I'm just having troubles getting there. Stupid muse, abandoning me. But it will be updated!**

** 'Destler' - I believe this surname is from one of the many Phantom films. Which I haven't seen. I just happen to see it used a lot and figured I'd jump on the bandwagon!  
**

**Anyways, please review! A new chapter tomorrow - the first fourteen chapters are already written but I'm not going to post them all at once. I'm going to squeeze as many reviews out of you people as possible! It gives my ego when heck of a boost, seeing my inbox full of emails **

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie **


	4. Chapter Four: Costumes and Coffee

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Four**

By the time they returned downstairs, the rest of the cast had arrived. Christine opened a bottle of water and drank thirstily. She was parched, although she hadn't sung a single line. At least they seemed to be making progress on _The Music of the Night_.

Erik went to speak with Mr Khan and Max grinned at Christine.

"Well, that wasn't in the least bit awkward."

"It's an awkward scene." Christine admitted.

"Hope I didn't come off as too much of a pervert." Max said, a little red in the face. Christine smiled.

"No. It's all acting, its fine."

"Didn't touch you nearly as much as _he_ did though. Blimey, he was really getting into it, wasn't he?" Max said, nodding at Erik. Christine shrugged.

"It's only acting. It's not like it means anything."

"I guess so." Max said.

Tom came over and said,

"How'd it go?"

"Pretty good. Are we going through the score in here?" Max asked.

"I think we're going to a different room so the dancers can use the stage. Thank god we don't have to dance. Well, except for the Masquerade scene." Tom said. Christine smiled slightly.

"It'll be even worse in costume. At least you don't have to wear a dress the size of a bouncy castle."

"OK, I've not seen the show, but what exactly is Christine wearing in _The Music of the Night_?" Max asked, a little concerned.

Christine remembered and pulled a face.

"If memory serves me correctly… nightclothes."

"What?" Max said in a delighted tone, almost unable to believe his ears.

"Nightclothes. Skimpy nightclothes." Tom confirmed. Max grinned at Christine.

"Think I might enjoy that scene more and more!"

"OK, _now_ you're coming off as a bit of a pervert." She told him sharply, "Besides, it's not that bad. She's wearing a dressing gown over the top, it's not like you really see anything more than tiny bit of cleavage."

They were interrupted by Dr Carter climbing onto the stage.

"I want Madame Giry, Meg, Carlotta, Piangi, André, Firmin, Joseph Buqet, Christine, Raoul, the Phantom and anyone else with lines up in the big studio pronto. The rest of you are going to have a dance lesson."

* * *

"No. No way. Absolutely not." Christine said flatly. It was two weeks later and she was stood in the costume department, looking at the outfit she had been assigned for the mirror scene. Or more specifically, the underwear.

June, the costume designer, looked at her plainly.

"Christine, this is the outfit you've been given. It's not that bad."

"It's indecent!" Christine cried, "Christine in the musical has a proper dressing gown, not a piece of lace."

"Hey, I didn't design it, I just make it. Now get dressed. The producers want to see everyone in their various outfits today and I haven't got time to dither." June pushed her towards the dressing room.

Christine closed the door and stared down at the costume in her arms. God, this was so _embarrassing_. It was a white corset with a translucent white, lace skirt falling from it, over a pair of thigh length white stockings. A thin, white lace dressing gown went over the top. Christine highly doubted that anyone in the audience would be listening to her singing if she appeared in this. Reluctantly she dressed, pulling at the fabric to make it cover more of her exposed skin.

"Christine, get your arse out here so I can do your hair and make up!" June shouted.

Reluctantly Christine opened the door. June smiled.

"Everything OK?"

"No, it isn't." Christine snapped. She rubbed her head and said, "Let's get on with it. Thank god it's just the producers…"

"And the rest of the cast."

"What!"

June sat her down in a chair and started to do her hair, arranging it expertly.

"Well, they're waiting to try theirs on too. So they'll be watching each other in their outfits. I've got Rebecca in a minute for her _Prima Donna_ outfit."

"Oh my god!" Christine whimpered. June poked her in the back of the neck with a sharp finger.

"Stop whining and let me do your make up."

* * *

In the theatre, everyone sat around, talking cheerfully as Max emerged in his Phantom outfit. The white mask fitted him perfectly and he grinned cheerfully. Everyone applauded and several girls whistled and cheered. Max bowed and then turned quickly as he heard raised voices. Everyone started towards the doorway.

"I am _not_ going out there dressed like this!"

"Christine, if you don't go out there RIGHT NOW-"

"Is there a problem?" Doctor Carter asked. June appeared, looking irritable.

"Christine has a problem with her costume."

"Miss Danes, we haven't got all day. I personally approved all outfits, now come out here." Dr Carter said tiredly.

A glowering Christine appeared, her arms folded across her chest. The mouths of nearly every male in the theatre dropped and Christine glared at June furiously.

"I'm going to get arrested for indecent exposure!"

"Looks very decent to me!" Max grinned. Christine glared at him and said furiously,

"If you think that I am going to let you anywhere near me whilst I am wearing this, you are sadly mistaken. Doctor Carter, can't we do something about it?"

"Christine, the outfit is already made in your size. You'll have to put up with it." Dr Carter said firmly. Christine sighed, tugging the thin lace dressing gown over her chest. June pushed her towards the seats.

"Sit down until I need you for the next outfit. Rebecca, your turn. And Max, go and take that mask off before you break it!"

Christine sat down, still trying to rearrange the fabric. Mr Khan sat down beside her and said comfortingly,

"It's really not that bad."

"Why don't you wear it then?" Christine said miserably. Nadir laughed.

"Because I just don't have the figure to pull it off." His name was called and he went to speak with Dr Carter. Christine sank lower in her seat, trying to stop her face from being the same hue as a beetroot when Erik took Nadir's empty seat.

"Here." He handed her his coat and she gratefully covered herself up.

"Thank you. You probably think I'm being moronic."

"Not at all. Just because you have a little modesty, it is no reason to be ashamed." He said calmly.

Erik had seen more than one girl dressed less than decently over the past week. The sudden heat wave that had struck them was taking its effect. Christine, he noted, had stayed in jeans and knee-length skirts, wearing only sun tops and keeping her hair tied up. Far more suitable than the items of clothing that several girls around the room were wearing.

But he couldn't pretend that his eyes hadn't widened when he had caught sight of Christine on the stage in her outfit.

He blinked. She had asked him a question and was looking to him for an answer.

"I'm sorry?" he asked.

"I said, have you ever sponsored a university performance before?"

"Oh. No. I only decided to do this because it found it rather intriguing." He admitted.

"I'm glad you did. You're really helping Max and me with our scenes."

Erik smiled slightly.

"It's a pleasure. You're both improving greatly."

"I still can't do that last note in _The Phantom of the Opera_ right. I don't know why. I mean, I can reach the note but it doesn't sound like it does on the soundtrack." Christine said thoughtfully. Erik said,

"You will, with time."

"Time is something I don't seem to have a lot of lately. It's good. It keeps me busy." Christine said, hunching up under the coat.

Erik glanced down at her. She had a slightly brooding expression on her face and was chewing her nail.

"The last few years have been hard?" He asked delicately.

"Oh yes. My aunt wanted me to move with her, but she lives on the other side of the country. I couldn't bring myself to leave home."

"You're stronger than most people." He commented. She laughed mirthlessly at that.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I just… just get on with it, you know? I've been getting on with it for two years now. Not stopping."

"What would happen if you stopped?" Erik asked.

Christine looked up at him, her dark eyes sad.

"They'd really be gone. Stopping means admitting that they're gone. I still haven't moved a thing in their bedroom. All their things are still there. It's as if… as if they've just gone out for a while and they'll be back soon. It's easier this way. I know that eventually I'll have to stop. But for the moment I just want to keep going."

Erik stared at her, with newfound respect. He was about to speak when Christine's name was called. June stood in the doorway, looking irritable.

"Christine, gala dress. _Now_."

Christine stood and handed the coat back to Erik. Suddenly her outfit didn't seem quite so important anymore. He took the coat silently and she smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said, although he wasn't sure if she was thanking him for the coat or for listening. It didn't seem to matter, particularly. And then she'd disappeared, with June ranting at her for taking her time.

* * *

After rehearsals, Christine went to collect her things. But as she went to her chair, she found Max waiting for her.

"Hi Max."

"Hey Christine. I, er…. I wanted to see if you wanted to go and get a coffee or something." He said, blushing. Christine might have found it cute, if she hadn't been completely preoccupied.

"Sorry Max, I've got my aunt, uncle and cousins coming to stay for the weekend and I need to get the house ready."

"Oh. OK. Another time?" he said, obviously disappointed.

"Yeah." She said absently and then paused.

She was being rude, she realised. Max had been nothing but nice to her and she was always so dismissive of him. Christine smiled at him.

"Tell you what – Monday, after rehearsals, we can go for a coffee then, if you want."

"Really? Oh, great! I'll see you on Monday!" Max said excitedly. Christine smiled at his exuberance and checked her watch in dismay.

"God, is that the time? I've got to run Max, the dog needs walking and I've got nothing to feed my guests."

She darted off, leaving Max with a dopey grin on his face. Tom draped an arm over his shoulders.

"I take it she finally said yes?"

"Coffee on Monday." Max confirmed.

"Cool." Tom eyed his friend. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Did you _see_ her in that outfit?" Max grinned. Tom laughed and Max sighed.

"I don't know what it is about her. She's just… yeah. She's cool."

"You've got it bad. Come on, I'm starving."

* * *

Trisha, Jack, Melanie and Kelly arrived at half past twelve the next day. Christine opened the door when she heard the car come up the driveway and was subjected to hugs and kisses from all family members. After the usual formalities, she sat them down in the living room with tea and cakes before taking a seat. Trisha smiled at her fondly. She was Christine's father's sister and they were Christine's only family now.

"How are you, Christine? You look so cheerful!"

"I'm fine. I've been kept busy with the musical rehearsals and everything, so that's good." Christine said, smiling as Trister bounded in to have a fuss made over him by Melanie and Kelly.

Jack asked,

"How's the show going?"

"Oh, it's great. It's going to be such a good show. Everyone is so amazing." Christine smiled. Kelly looked at her,

"Are you the star?"

"Not really. I've got the lead part, but-"

"You're a star!" Melanie grinned. Christine smiled.

"Sure, why not? I'm a star!"

Trisha sent the girls to play outside with Trister before looking at Christine.

"How are you coping?"

"I'm… coping. Some days are harder than others, but it's better to just get on with it, right?" Christine said, crumbling a piece of biscuit between her fingers. Jack said,

"We do worry about you, Christine. Especially being alone in a house this size."

"I know. But it's safe, really. I check all the locks everyday, the neighbours keep an eye out for me, and I'm so busy that someone's bound to notice if something's not right." Christine said calmly, putting her teacup on the table.

Trisha smiled.

"You're a wonderful girl, Christine. They would have been so proud of you." Christine smiled slightly.

"Hmm. I hope so."

"Oh, they would be. And, by the way, we're taking you out to dinner tonight. Somewhere nice, so I hope you've got something posh to wear." Trisha winked. Jack grinned at his niece.

"How long before you regret us coming?"

"About thirty seconds ago." Christine laughed.

* * *

Erik glanced at Nadir across the table.

"What do you want?"

"The coq au vin, I think." Nadir said, closing the menu. Erik looked down at his own menu.

"The duck." He told the waitress who wrote it down, thanked them with a dazzling smile and walked off to the kitchen.

Erik sipped his wine and Nadir said,

"Enjoying the musical?"

"Very much so. They're very talented students." Erik said, relishing the taste of the wine. Nadir lifted his eyebrows.

"Some more than others. Christine Danes, for example."

"She's an admirable young woman. I believe she'll go far."

"If they can get her into her costumes." Nadir said amusedly.

Erik glanced at his companion.

"It was a little scantier than necessary. She's clearly not used to that sort of thing; I can't imagine what Carter is thinking."

"He's probably thinking they can increase the audience numbers if they put the attractive female lead in lingerie." Nadir said vaguely. Erik had to admit that this would probably work. Nadir looked up and said,

"What about Max Hodges?"

"He's getting there. If he could be serious for more than five minutes, he'd be much better." Erik said scathingly. Nadir smiled.

"We can't all be as stolid as you, Erik. People enjoy laughter."

"Some people need to take things more seriously." Erik said calmly, lifting his wine again. It was exquisite.

"And Miss Danes does?" Nadir asked.

"She's a very dedicated person. First to arrive and the last to leave."

"You like her, don't you?"

"As I said, she's an admirable person and good company." Erik said. Nadir glanced up and said cheerfully,

"And I suppose you don't care in the least that she just walked into the restaurant?"

Erik blinked at him and then turned to look at the entrance. Sure enough, there she stood, with a much older couple and two young girls. She was dressed simply, in a black skirt and wine red blouse, her hair clipped up out of the way. She spoke to the woman she was with and smiled slightly. Then her eyes wandered around the restaurant and met his.

He inclined his head and she nodded back with a slight smile. The woman saw her and glanced over, before turning to ask her who it was. Erik didn't hear her reply, but the woman looked over again and waved cheerfully. Nadir snorted quietly and Erik lifted his hand in greeting before turning back to face Nadir.

* * *

Christine sat at the table with her family and Trisha asked,

"What did you say his name was?"

"Erik Destler. He's a very talented musician. He's sponsoring the musical, and he's taking part in all the preparation." Christine said, picking up her menu. Jack considered the name.

"He's very young for someone with that much money."

"Maybe he inherited it. I have no idea." Christine said as the waitress came over for drink orders.

Halfway through the meal, Christine excused herself to the bathroom. As she went, she bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.

"Oh, sorry!" she cried and then smiled. "Mr Khan!"

"Hallo Christine. Didn't think I'd be seeing you here." Nadir smiled.

"My aunt and her family are visiting and insisted on bringing me out for dinner."

"Wonderful. Will they be coming to the show?"

"I think so. If I can ever fit into my costume, after the amount I've been eating tonight!" Christine smiled. Nadir laughed.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. If not, Erik will have you running laps around the theatre to wear it all off."

"I have no doubt of that." Christine said with a smile, and moved past to the bathroom.

As Nadir sat down, he found Erik watching him carefully.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Nadir asked cheerfully, sitting down to finish his food.

"You know exactly what, Nadir." Erik said irritably.

"We were simply discussing the fine food. She's here with her aunt's family." Nadir said, taking a drink. Erik glanced across the restaurant to the table and then continued to eat in silence.

* * *

At the end of the evening, Erik and Nadir rose to leave at the same time as Christine and her family. They met at the doors and Erik smiled slightly at Christine.

"Miss Danes."

"Mr Destler. Did you have a good meal?"

"Exquisite. And this must be your aunt." He kissed Trisha's hand lightly. Christine had never heard her aunt giggle before. Erik shook Jack's hand.

"A pleasure to meet you sir."

"And you, Mr Destler. I hear the show is going well."

"You heard correctly. I'm expecting an excellent performance."

"We'll certainly be coming down to see it." Trisha said.

Christine smiled and then looked down at Kelly. The four year old was leaning against her, half asleep.

"Trisha, I think Kelly's going to pass out any second." She said to her aunt. Trisha glanced down and smiled.

"We'd better be getting these two home. It was lovely to meet you, Mr Destler." Christine lifted the sleepy child up and smiled at the two men.

"I'll see you both on Monday. Good night, Mr Khan, Mr Destler."

"Good night, Miss Danes." Erik said, with a nod.

He watched her cross the car park, her young cousin snuggled in her grasp. Nadir cleared his throat.

"Erik?"

"Let's go." Erik said, turning towards the car.

* * *

"Christine, Tom, on the stage for _All I Ask Of You_. NOW!" Dr Carter shouted, tripping over some dancing girls who were stretching. Christine went to the stage and climbed up. Tom smiled at her.

"What's got him all stressed out?"

"Some of the costumes got messed up and June's having a fit." Max said, joining them. Christine winced.

"Wonderful. Just what we need."

"Don't worry about it. They'll be OK. But she's been ragging on Carter all day." Max said.

"Places, please." Nadir said to them. Max disappeared behind a statue, currently a white-grey colour from the plaster it was made of, but would eventually be dark grey.

Tom went to stand near the back of the stage as Christine took her place at the front, where she would be stood after the previous song had ended. Nadir gestured to Christine.

"Turn a little to your left, as if you're looking for him. Tom, remember you're comforting her. Max, just watch for now, we'll go through your part later."

Christine lifted her face, as though searching for the mysterious voice that had spoken her name. The music began to play and Tom slowly crossed the stage, taking her hand in his. Fortunately, they were pretty good at this song and Nadir had been walking them through it. Erik took Max and Christine for their scenes whilst Nadir concentrated on the Raoul/Christine parts.

But before they could finish the song, they were interrupted by Dr Carter.

"Tom, get over to costumes, they need to refit you. Mr Destler, could you do something with Max and Christine?" Erik rose from his seat at the piano and considered the two students.

"_The Music of the Night_." He said decisively.

"Here?" Christine said, surprised. Thus far they had only been doing it in private. Erik looked at her flatly.

"Yes, here. I want to see how you cope with the audience."

Christine took her seat in the boat and waited as Tom began to sing. The dancers and extras sat down to watch the scene. Max moved around and stretched out his hand for Christine's. She rose gracefully and followed his lead, letting him turn her, the same actions Erik had used.

And yet it was completely different. When Erik Destler had touched her and held her like that she had felt as though… as though the world had stopped. As if he really were the Phantom, begging her to love him and she would have willingly done so. Max's actions were awkward and young, tentative and unsure.

"Stop!" Erik snapped. Max released Christine and they turned to look at him. He stepped up onto the stage.

"You want her to fall in love with you, not fall over. Don't pull her about like that."

"Sorry." Max said awkwardly, glancing out at the audience. Erik glared at him.

"Ignore the audience."

"It's different than doing it in private and in front of them. It's a bit embarrassing." Max objected. Christine chewed the inside of her cheek and Erik looked at her.

"Miss Danes?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She said, quickly.

"No, you're like a piece of cardboard. You have to relax." He said sternly.

Christine swallowed hard and said,

"I know, but I just keep thinking about exactly how little I'm going to be wearing."

"Get used to it. In fact, go and change into your costume and I'll run through it with you." Erik said. Christine stared at him and he snapped his fingers. "Now, Miss Danes."

Ten minutes later, Christine returned in her costume, flushed slightly. Erik turned to Max.

"As we rehearsed. Go and sit down and _pay attention_. I thought this scene was done. Miss Danes, in the boat."

Christine took her seat, trying to cover herself up a little but failing. Erik took his place as the music began and started to run through the actions, singing as he did so.

And Christine fell into ecstasy. It was as if the world around them had melted away, leaving only her and him. And yet she was aware of the eyes of the audience following their every move, how Max perched on the edge of his chair, frowning.

But more aware, was she, of him. The instant his hand touched her face she leaned towards him, wanting and needing him. As he pressed against her, the air rushed out of her lungs, leaving her breathless. As his hand ran down her midriff and came to a rest on her hip, she felt her stomach flip over. And his _voice_… Max's had made her shiver but Erik Destler's made her knees grow weak and her skin tingle.

She pretended to faint and Erik lifted her as easily as if she were made of air and laid her tenderly on the bed. He sang the final lines and he saw to his amazement that her eyes opened a crack to meet his. Her dark brown pools stared into his green orbs and her mouth opened slightly to inhale a much needed breath. Erik stared down at her, his throat constricting.

And the song ended.

Rapturous applause, several people cheering. Erik stood and held out his hand. Christine took it and he helped her to her feet. He turned to Max.

"I trust that example will suffice?"

"Yes, Mr Destler."

"Good. Now, get it _right_." Erik said in a dangerously calm voice.

Christine returned to her seat in the boat, trying to stop the blush that was rising in her cheeks. Max smiled at her.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." She said, brushing her hair back from her face.

After that the rehearsals went considerably better. Erik interrupted a couple of times to rearrange some movements or to change the positions, but that was it. When they finished he looked from one to the other and said quietly,

"Better. Much better. Miss Danes, if you'd like to go and change, you may."

"_Thank you_." Christine said gratefully, darting out. Erik lifted his eyes the ceiling and turned to the piano.

* * *

Once Christine had changed back into some decent clothing, Max sought her out.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, just give me a moment." She said, heading towards Erik. He was talking quietly to Nadir who nodded at her as she approached. Erik turned and she said, smiling slightly,

"I just wanted to say thank you, for helping with the scene."

"As I've said before, Miss Danes, that is why I'm here." He said calmly, but a tiny smile crossed his face. Christine's smiled widened slightly.

"I know, but thank you anyway. And my aunt said to tell you that she can't wait to see the show."

"I hope that she enjoys it." Erik said.

Max cleared his throat and Christine glanced around.

"Well, I'd better go. I'll see you both tomorrow." She said, with another smile. Erik watched as Max grinned at her and they left together. His heart clenched and unclenched. Well… of course, he thought, a little bitterly.

Nadir noticed, of course. He noticed everything, that was one of the reasons that Erik employed him. But he didn't comment. Instead he said,

"We've got a meeting with the gentlemen from Coventry in forty minutes; we should be on our way."

"Of course. Let's go." Erik said, picking up his coat.

* * *

Max handed Christine a cup of coffee with a charming smile.

"White, one sugar right?"

"Yes. How did you know?" Christine asked, taking the cup. Max smiled as he sat opposite her at the small round table.

"I know quite a lot about you, Christine. We've been in the same class for two years."

"But you've never spoken to me before now." Christine pointed out. Max shrugged, stirring his coffee.

"I know. I guess I was just a little shy."

She gave him a disbelieving look and he grinned.

"I know, I'm not usually shy. But for some reason you _make_ me shy."

"I do?"

"Yeah. Look how long it took me to work up the courage to just speak to you." he pointed out. Christine eyed him, lifting her cup to her lips.

"OK. Exactly how much do you know about me?"

"Your name is Christine Danes. You're twenty one. Your birthday is sometime in September, not quite sure of the date."

"The fourteenth." She said with a slight smile. He grinned at her.

"You like most kinds of music, but especially classical and opera. You play the piano, the violin, the clarinet and you sing like an angel."

"Now you're just sucking up." She told him lightly.

Max laughed and leaned across the table to look her in the face.

"OK. You like to smile but often don't. You love to listen but prefer to sing. You auditioned on the off chance that you'd get the part, but knew inside that you would because you wanted this more than anything else in the world. You have faith in a higher power, but make sure that you keep your feet on the ground because this is where you really belong."

Christine didn't move. The smile had faded from Max's face as he watched her closely. He sat back in his seat and Christine said quietly,

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. I'm kinda hoping you'll let me walk you home after we've finished and I'm reasonably sure that you'll say yes." Max said. Christine lifted an eyebrow.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you're cool and something must have made you say yes when I asked you to come out." Max smiled. Christine smiled slightly.

"OK. But you'll have to walk me back to the theatre, because that's where I left my car."

"That'll do for now." He grinned, drinking his coffee.

**A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! I'm glad you like Max. He's so lovely. I wish I had one. I also wish I had an Erik. Oh well. Anyways, as you can probably guess, Christine's outfit is based on the movie one. Just because I wanted to write her reaction for it, Lol!**

** My biggest challenge with this story is to try not to make it like 'Cold, Cold Heart'. I want completely new characters! I hope I can do that. Anyway, better go. Please review, need feedback!**

**Lotsa luv**

**Katie **


	5. Chapter Five: Storm

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Five**

The week was filled with rehearsals and Christine found herself a month from the performance itself. Dr Carter announced that they would be having seven performances, one every night for an entire week.

When Christine got home from a late running rehearsal, Trister was sat impatiently by the door. She rubbed his ears.

"Sorry I'm late. Let's go for a walk." At the sound of those most magical of words, Trister started to bark and jump about. Christine snapped his leash on and they started the five minute walk to the park. Once they were there, she let him off the leash and he started to sniff around, exploring. He wouldn't go far and she continued walking, swinging the leash in her hand.

There weren't many people in the park, which surprised her. The weather was gorgeous, but there had been forecasts of a storm and she saw dark clouds gathering in the distance. Christine hummed lightly as she walked, her thoughts wandering.

First of all they wandered to Max. Nearly everyday after rehearsal he asked her out for coffee or food. Sometimes she said yes, sometimes she didn't. But she nearly always felt guilty, whether she said yes or no. Because Max was a lovely person and obviously had feelings for her. Feelings she didn't return. If she said yes, it felt like she was leading him on. And when she said no, the look of disappointment on his face made her ache.

The next thing that they inevitably wandered to was Erik Destler. Christine chewed her lip, frowning a little. This was ridiculous. Here was Max, a perfectly nice guy of her own age who liked her, and she couldn't stop thinking about someone ten years older and seriously out of her league. How typical. She hadn't been able to bring herself to go out with anyone for two years and as soon as a nice guy comes along, who actually likes her, she develops a crush on someone completely unattainable.

That's life for you.

She hesitated, waiting for Trister to catch up to her. He bounded along, tail waving like a flag. He went straight past her to dive into some long grass, sniffing around. Christine settled herself on a bench with a book, letting him wander around. The air was stiflingly warm, thick and hazy. Christine almost found herself wanting the storm to come, simply to clear the atmosphere from the muggy heat that had settled over the land.

A strange noise shattered the peaceful atmosphere. Christine looked up as Trister came rushing back to her in fright. Thunder, she realised with dismay. She had been sat here for at least twenty minutes with her book and the storm was upon her.

"Come on, Trister." She said, clipping his leash on as heavy raindrops began to fall. She set off at a run, Trister around her heels. A crack of lightening lit the suddenly dark world and a heavy roll of thunder sounded as they turned onto the road. Christine cried out as Trister bolted with fear, tugging the handle of his leash from her hand.

"Trister!" She shouted, but the dog had vanished into the rain filled darkness. She shouted his name again, running blindly, wiping the water from her eyes. She called his name again and then her heart froze.

It happened quickly. The screeching of brakes and a yelp. Christine screamed as she ran into the road and found Trister quivering on his side, blood dripping from his hind leg. The owner of the car leapt out ad Christine pulled her jacket off, covering the trembling animal. Trister snarled, baring his teeth as her fingers brushed against the wound.

"He just came out of nowhere!" The driver said, helplessly. And then he frowned. "Hey, do I know you?"

"Thompson, what's going on?" said a voice, and another man appeared through the rain. He stared down at her.

"Good lord! Christine! Erik, get out here." Nadir called.

Christine stared from one face to the other, as though it were some strange dream. Another crash of thunder and Trister yelped, struggling. Christine held him still as Erik knelt beside her and lifted the jacket to look at the wound.

"How far are we from your house?" He asked.

"About thirty seconds, it's the one over there." Christine said, pointing through the rain.

"We'll take him there. Nadir, go to the shop and get this." He scribbled something on a sheet of paper and handed it to him. And then Erik lifted the snarling animal into his arms and set off with Christine, running down the road.

With fumbling fingers, Christine unlocked the door and they went in. Trister had now stopped struggling and lay limply in Erik's arms.

"A table?"

"In the kitchen." Christine said, leading him through to the back of the house. The spacious kitchen boasted a large wooden table. Erik laid Trister on it and turned to her.

"Blankets and hot water. Have you got any antiseptic liquid?" She went to the medical cupboard and searched through, handing the translucent brown bottle to him before rushing to the linen closet for blankets. Erik took one blanket and wrapped it around Trister, asking as he did so,

"Have you got a muzzle for him?"

"Somewhere. But he doesn't bite."

"He's injured. His first instinct is to defend himself. He'll attack if we try and clean his wound." Erik said. Christine went to a drawer and searched through, eventually pulling out a leather muzzle. Erik strapped it around Trister's nose and jaw, and took the bowl of hot water from Christine. He added a capful of antiseptic liquid to it and rolled up his sleeves.

"Some cloths?"

She went to a cupboard and pulled out some old cloths. Erik dipped one into the pungent water and dabbed it against the gash. Trister flinched and began to growl, coming out of his shock.

"Hold him." Erik ordered and Christine held Trister's head tightly, whispering soothingly to him as Erik efficiently cleaned the wound.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Erik disappeared down the hallway and returned a moment later with Thompson and Nadir, who was holding a bag. Erik took out a tub of medical cream and roll of clean bandages. Christine watched in silence as he expertly rubbed the salve into the wound. Trister growled and Christine stroked his head, whispering quietly. With Nadir's help, Erik wrapped the bandage around Trister's leg and tied it. Then he reached into the bag and took out a packet of pills.

"Nadir, hold his mouth." He told his companion. Christine stepped back as Nadir deftly removed the muzzle and held the dog's jaws open. Erik slipped a pill down to the back of his throat and clamped the jaws shut, rubbing at his throat to encourage him to swallow. After a couple of attempts, the medicine went down. Christine asked gingerly,

"What… what was that?"

"A sleeping pill. It'll knock him out until the morning." Nadir said. Erik looked around.

"A dog basket?"

"In the living room." Christine said, feeling numb. Erik lifted the already dozing Trister and followed her into the large living room. The dog's basket was near the empty fireplace. Christine lit it as Erik laid the dog down, covering him with a blanket. He cast a gaze over the shivering girl and said,

"I suggest you change into something dry."

"What?" She said, looking at him blankly.

"You're soaked." He pointed out. Christine blinked and looked down.

"Oh… yes. So are you."

"I'll live." Erik said dryly.

Christine shook her head.

"There are clothes upstairs. I'll find you some dry ones." She disappeared and Erik turned to Nadir and Thompson.

"Go back to the house. I'll make my own way home."

"Erik…" Nadir said warningly but Erik gave him a deadly look. Nadir lifted his hands in surrender and they left. Erik went upstairs.

* * *

Christine hesitated outside the bedroom door and then opened it, flicking on the light switch. The room lit cheerfully and Christine looked around. They could have been back any minute. But now was not the time for remembering the past. She crossed to her father's wardrobe and opened it. The scent of her father's aftershave wafted around her and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, before taking out a shirt and a pair of trousers.

She turned and saw Erik standing in the doorway. He looked around the room and understood instantly. She didn't say anything but handed the clothes to him.

"The bathroom is down the hall." She said, pointing to the door. Erik nodded and went to change. Christine went to her own room and peeled off the soaked clothes, grimacing at the clamminess of them. She found a pair of jeans and a sweater, changed quickly and went downstairs to put the kettle on for tea. Nadir and Thompson were nowhere to be found.

* * *

Erik came down moments later, holding his wet clothes. Christine smiled slightly.

"Tea?"

"Yes, please." He said. Christine took the wet clothes from him and hung them over a drying rack, along with her own wet garments. Erik watched her make the tea in silence and was about speak when she turned to him and said quickly,

"Thank you. For helping Trister."

"It's the least I could do, after running him over." Erik pointed out. Christine smiled slightly and said,

"Where did you learn to treat wounds? You were very… efficient."

"One picks these things up."

"A musician and a doctor. Is there anything you can't do?"

"Ski."

His blunt answer made her smile as she poured tea into two mugs, handing one to him. Her damp hair was starting to dry, curling more than usual.

"Where have Mr Khan and the driver gone?"

"I sent them back to my house. I wanted to make sure you weren't in shock, and frankly it's much easier to deal with if there aren't various strange people running around your house." Erik explained. Christine nodded and they went through to the living room. As they sat Erik asked,

"What were you doing out in the storm, anyway?"

"I was walking Trister. I was reading in the park and completely lost track of time. By the time I realised what was going on, the storm had started."

She nodded at the window, where rain lashed violently against the glass. Erik glanced at the sleeping animal and said,

"You should take him to a vet tomorrow."

"I will. I'm just so glad you were there. If he had been injured more badly… well, he's pretty much my family." She admitted, laughing a little. "Weird, I guess. Having a dog as your family."

"Not necessarily."

Christine drank a little of her tea and shook her head.

"He got scared by the storm and just… just pulled the leash right out of my hand."

"It was an accident. Nobody is to blame." Erik told her. She shrugged and put her tea down, glancing at him.

"Were you only just leaving the theatre?"

"Yes. Dr Carter kept us talking. He seems to be very good at that." Erik said dryly. Christine smiled briefly.

"He is. He's very… enthusiastic."

"That, I can't deny." Erik said.

Christine glanced at the score that lay on the coffee table, from where she had left it after getting back from rehearsals.

"It's turning out well though. But there's still the hardest part to do."

"The ending?"

"Yeah. _The Point of No Return_ and _Down Once More_. The most important parts. I hope I can do them right." She said slowly.

"You will." Erik said confidently. She smiled.

"I hope so. I don't particularly like the ending though. I always used to wish that Christine could have stayed with the Phantom."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"He's just so lonely. All he ever wanted was her and she denied him that."

"It's a realistic ending. Christine always leaves the Phantom." Erik said calmly. She glanced up at him, an odd smile on her face. He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Not always. The Phantom won once."

"What production was this?"

Christine sat up straight and considered him for a moment, wondering whether or not to divulge this piece of information that was so dear to her heart. After a moment she decided and gestured for him to follow her. She led him through the dark house to a room on the opposite side. She flicked on the light and Erik looked around her treasured Music Room. Christine crossed to a bookshelf and ran her finger along the programmes of shows that had once been, before selecting one. She turned and passed it to him.

_The Phantom of the Opera_ was emblazoned in gold across the black cover. Erik opened it and glanced through. It seemed like any other performance he had seen. Christine smiled.

"It was more of a… backstage romance. This man, who played the Phantom really was in love with his Christine."

She pointed at the picture of a smiling, handsome man. Erik examined the picture and glanced across at the beautiful young woman who had played Christine.

"Only, the man playing Raoul also loved her. He was going to ask her to marry him, but the Phantom got there first. The Christine had already decided that she loved the Phantom too, and said yes. Raoul wasn't happy, but he got over it and ended up with one of the dancers. So you see… the Phantom does win once." Christine smiled.

Erik flicked through the programme, searching for her source of information.

"How do you know all this?" He asked, puzzled. Christine smiled and gave a little sigh.

"The Phantom and his Christine were Charles and Faith Danes."

"You mean…?" Erik stared at her and she nodded.

"My parents. It was always their favourite musical, I was brought up on it." She looked down at the smiling photographs and then placed it back on the shelf, with the other programmes.

"They couldn't resist calling me Christine, when I was born. A sort of symbol of the show that brought them together. They thought it was incredible when my best friend turned out to be called Meg Grayson." She said, going to the other side of the room, where rows and rows of records stood. "Would you like to hear them?" she asked, taking out one of the large black discs. Erik nodded.

Christine set the record playing and smiled as _The Phantom of the Opera_ began to play. Erik watched her face go through a serious of emotions. Happiness, misery, delight, torture before settling from a sort of pained contentment. The two voices that came from the speakers were unfamiliar to him, but for her there were thousands of memories. When the song ended she turned it off and sighed.

"It's been a while since I listened to it."

"Too painful?"

"Hmm." She confirmed, placing the disc back on the shelf. Erik looked around.

"This is an impressive collection."

"It's theirs. They loved music almost as much as they loved each other." Christine said, with a slight laugh. She hugged herself tightly, looking around the room.

Erik watched her closely. She squeezed her eyes shut, a lump rising in her throat.

"I… I miss them so much."

"Of course you do." He said quietly. She looked up at him, eyes bright with unspoilt tears.

"But I didn't even cry. When I found out that they had… not even at the funeral. I didn't cry once. Not until afterwards. Surely that's not normal? Why can't I just _accept_ it? Why can't I just move on?"

_Too many years_

_Fighting back tears_

_Why can't the past just die?_

The lyrics ran through both of their minds and Christine clasped her hands to her mouth to suppress the rising sob.

"Oh _god_…" She whispered as the tears ran unbidden down her cheeks, humiliated that he should see her like this, horrified that she should appear so weak and the final, dreaded knowledge that what she had feared was true and that she would now have to face the world alone.

And in an instant all of that was gone as Erik moved fluidly across the room and pulled her into his arms and she sobbed into his chest, keening, piercing wails that could shatter the heart. Erik didn't say a word, just held her tightly, thinking in the depths of his mind and heart '_I'll never let go_.'

* * *

"I'm sorry." She whispered, sat on the living room sofa again. Erik shook his head, sat beside her, his eyes fixed on hers. She didn't meet his gaze, her eyes on her hands in her lap.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I just… I…"

"Christine, you don't need to say anything." He told her gently. Christine sniffed hard and lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said softly. She offered a tiny smile and he returned it. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak, but his mobile phone began to ring. He snapped it open furiously.

"What? Nadir, deal with it. That's what I pay you for… Fine. Yes, send the car. On it's way? Yes, yes, _fine_."

He stuffed the phone back into his pocket and got to his feet.

"A slight emergency. I have to…"

"Of course." Christine said, standing too. The storm was still going, but above the noise they heard the beep of a car horn. They went to the door and Erik stared down at her. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks again, Mr Destler. I'll take Trister to the vet tomorrow after rehearsals."

"It was nothing." He said and she said,

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

He swallowed, looking down at her tearstained face. And then he leaned over, planted a light kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Tomorrow."

And then he was walking down the path to the waiting car. Christine gazed after him, hugging herself. He didn't look back, but climbed into the car and drove away. Christine closed the door and leant against it, sighing.

**A/N: OMG, ERIK RAN OVER HER DOG! Aw, poor Trister. And poor Christine. Thank you for the lovely reviews, you all rock! Seriously 73 reviews for four chapters? OK, wow. **

**Love you guys**

**Katie**


	6. Chapter 6: Erik\'s Home

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Six**

She overslept the next morning. Trister was still asleep and she left him some clean water and food before going to rehearsal, arriving at the same time as Max and Tom. She parked the car and walked across the car park with them. The storm had long cleared, leaving a fresh, wet feel about the world. It was very refreshing.

"Not early today?" Tom smiled. She shrugged.

"I overslept."

"Oh well, I don't think anyone will mind." Max said, draping an arm around her shoulders as they entered the theatre. Christine resisted the urge to step away, not entirely comfortable with the closeness.

Dr Carter and Nadir were talking by the stage and Erik was sat at the piano, playing calmly. He looked up sharply as Christine came in and his eyes softened. A moment later his eyes rested on the arm around her shoulder and they narrowed. Christine moved away from Max to put her things on an empty chair. Max didn't appear to notice her quietness, talking cheerfully with Tom, Nadir and Dr Carter. Erik rose and approached her. She looked up and smiled. A genuine smile, not her usual slight expression.

"How is Trister?" he asked.

"He was still sleeping when I left. I'll have to run home after rehearsal; I've booked him in at the vet's this afternoon."

"Good. Here." He handed her a bag. "The clothes you lent me."

"Oh! Thanks. Here, I brought yours." She gave him a bag of freshly cleaned clothes. Erik took them with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Christine."

Nadir came over and smiled at her.

"How's your dog?"

"Sleeping. I'm taking him to the vet later this afternoon."

"I'm sure he'll be fine, but it doesn't hurt to check." Nadir nodded. "Thompson was distraught about the accident."

"Oh, was he? It's not like he did it on purpose, it was an accident. I'm just glad he was driving so slowly."

"That was because of the storm." Nadir nodded. Max joined them.

"Who was driving slowly?" he asked.

"Mr Destler's driver." Christine said. "There was an accident."

"Christine, are you OK?" Max said quickly, seizing her hand. Christine rolled her eyes.

"Not me! Trister, my dog."

"You ran over her dog?" Max said in surprise, glancing at Erik.

"Not intentionally, let me assure you."

"It was a complete accident and I'm sure Trister's fine. Can we get practising?" Christine said, taking her hand from Max's and digging in her bag for her score.

Erik turned back to the piano and sat down. Dr Carter looked at Tom.

"_Why Have You Brought Me Here_, please Mr Sutherland. And then we'll do _Stranger Than You Dreamt It_."

* * *

They spent most of that morning concentrating on the _Masquerade_ Scene. Since most of this involved the extras, Tom, Christine and Max were able to sit back and watch some of the new choreography. Erik sat by the piano, watching the dancers with a sense of pleasure that he always felt at seeing something done well. But he couldn't prevent his eyes from wandering over to the girl sitting in the front row, leaning forward with a slight smile on her face. She was writing down something in her score, no doubt notes about the choreography. Erik watched as Max tapped her shoulder and asked her something. Clearly requesting another date. Christine shook her head and said something in reply. Max shrugged and grinned, turning away with a disappointed look on his face. Erik noticed with a little dismay that Christine looked after him, with a slightly distressed expression on her face. But she simply sighed and turned back to her notebook.

He glanced down at his own score, checking that he had written in the new cues when a shadow fell across the book. He glanced up and saw Christine standing beside him.

"Mr Destler, I'm sorry to interrupt but you mentioned a new cue in the first act and I can't remember where you put it." She said apologetically. Erik took her book and noted it down.

"Here. You came in half a beat too early on this, by the way."

"Yes, I noticed. I'll be sure not to do that next time."

"Good. And make sure you keep your breathing even in _The Phantom of the Opera_. You were gasping by the end of it." He told her. She nodded and said,

"It's that last note. I mentioned it yesterday, I think. For some reason I just can't pull it off."

"After tomorrow's rehearsal, if you stay behind for half an hour we can run through it until we figure out where you're going wrong." He offered. Her eyes widened.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise." He pointed out, with a slight smile. Christine smiled. Another proper smile.

"Thank you so much."

"It's nothing. I believe you're needed." He nodded towards Dr Carter who was beckoning for her. Christine rushed off to him, clutching her score. Erik watched her leave and then lowered his eyes to the piano keys.

* * *

When Christine went to the costume room, to speak with June, she found Rebecca waiting impatiently for her costume fitting. Rebecca cast her a filthy look. Christine decided to ignore this and asked,

"Do you know where June is?"

"In the office with Dr Carter." Rebecca said sharply, concentrating on her fingernails. Christine hesitated and then decided to wait. She stood by the door in silence, looking around the room at the various costumes.

"I suppose you think you're really clever, don't you?" Rebecca snapped. Christine glanced over at her.

"What?"

"You heard. You only auditioned for Christine because you knew it would piss me off."

"No, I auditioned because I wanted the part." Christine replied calmly. Rebecca snorted.

"Yeah, right."

"Rebecca, I don't know what your problem is but I got the part because the producers decided that I deserved it. It's not my fault that you didn't get it. Besides, you got one of the main parts as well." Christine pointed out.

Rebecca turned on her furiously.

"You _knew_ I was auditioning for Christine!"

"So were loads of other people! It's not my fault! Don't blame me because you didn't get it. If you've got a problem, bring it up with the producers." Christine said. She turned and wrenched open the door, storming out. But as she thundered down the hallway, she ran straight into Max. He glanced at her angry face.

"Christine, what's wrong?"

"Bloody Rebecca Griffins." Christine spat. Max lifted an eyebrow.

"What did she do?"

"She's blaming me because she didn't get the part she auditioned for. Like it's _my_ fault!"

Max snorted and said,

"Prima Donna. No wonder she got Carlotta. Don't worry about it, she's just jealous."

"Urgh, she's so _infuriating_!" Christine said angrily. Max grinned and took her arm.

"Come on, Mr Khan wants you. He sent me to find you."

They returned to the theatre where Nadir started to talk to Christine about her entrance in the _Stranger Than You Dreamt It_ scene. Christine noted down everything that he said and went to practise it with Max and Erik in the smaller studio. Erik watched them run through it and then said,

"Better than before. Miss Danes, you're coming from the wrong angle."

"Sorry?"

"When you take the mask off, Mr Hodges needs to jump up and throw you back. From that spot, you just fall over. Move behind him a little." He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her a little to the right, so she was behind Max's shoulder. He grinned up at her and she handed him his mask. Erik returned to his seat.

"Through again please." He said, watching them.

They went through it four more times before Erik was satisfied. He took them back downstairs, where Dr Carter was dismissing the others.

"I'll see you all tomorrow. If anyone has any questions, stay behind and I'll answer them." He said cheerfully. The next day was a Friday, and the idea of a relaxing weekend was tempting for all of them. Max turned to Christine.

"Sure you don't want to come for a coffee?"

"I can't, Max. I've got an appointment this afternoon." She said, pulling on her coat. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Nadir looked at Erik.

"Staying behind to personally help her?"

"Helping the show, Nadir. It all adds up to the same thing." Erik said dismissively. Nadir raised his eyes to the heavens but didn't comment.

* * *

"He'll be just fine. Keep changing the bandages and give him these pills." the vet said with a smile, patting Trister on the head. Christine smiled in relief and the vet said,

"Did you bandage him yourself? It's very impressive, and you cleaned the wound well.

"Oh, no. It was a friend."

"Be sure to thank them. If that had gotten infected it could have gotten nasty." The vet commented, writing on a clipboard. Christine thanked him and guided Trister out of the office. As they got into the car, he began to sniff at his back leg. Christine tapped his nose.

"Leave it." She said in a warning tone. Trister settled for peering out of the window and passing cars.

When she got back to the house, she found Meg coming up the front path to her.

"Hello stranger." Christine smiled. Meg laughed.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yes, I know. I've been very negligent." Christine said, unlocking the front door. Meg cried aloud when she saw Trister's bandaged leg.

"What happened?"

"He got hit by a car last night. He's OK, just a scrape."

"Oh, poor baby!" Meg said, hugging Trister who relished the attention. Christine smiled as they went through to the kitchen. Meg sat on the surface as she made coffee.

"So, how's it going with the show? I suppose that's why you've been ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you, and its fine."

"Any cute guys in it?"

Christine laughed.

"One track mind!"

"Don't judge me, I'm only human. So are there?"

"Sure, I guess." Christine said vaguely, scooping coffee into two cups. Meg eyed her.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes, there are cute guys. Especially the one playing the Phantom, Max Hodges."

"Really? Are you going to ask him out?"

"Well, we've already been out a few times."

Before Christine could get any further Meg had screamed and hit her around the head.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Ow! Meg!"

"What does he look like? Is it serious? Are you going out again?" Meg shrieked. Christine glared at her, clutching the sore spot on her head.

"He has dark hair, blue eyes, no, it's not serious and I have no idea! Jesus, that _really_ hurt!"

"You had it coming, for keeping secrets." Meg told her. Christine narrowed her eyes.

"You're lucky if I ever talk to you again."

Meg grinned angelically.

"You love me really."

"Not right now, I don't." Christine grumbled.

"Yeah, you do. So come on, details about this Max. Tell me _everything_."

Christine sighed and went over to the cupboard to get biscuits.

"There's really nothing to tell. He asks me out nearly everyday. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I don't."

"Ah, playing hard to get. Very wise."

"No, playing not that interested. I mean… he's a really nice guy and if things were different we'd probably get on so well…" her voice faded away. Meg sighed.

"Did you ever consider that the best way to get back into dating was to actually date?"

"It's not that I don't want to date. I just don't want to date… _him_." Christine said, pouring hot water into the cups.

Meg considered her carefully.

"Who is he? The guy you want to date?"

"Someone completely out of my league and that's all I'm going to tell you. Have a biscuit." Christine said, passing her the tin. Meg took one and munched it cheerfully as Christine handed her a mug of coffee.

"Do you want to do something after rehearsals tomorrow?" Meg asked. Christine shook her head.

"I can't. I'm staying behind to work on one of my songs with Mr Destler."

"Mr who?"

"He's sponsoring the production, and he's really musical."

"Oh, OK. Saturday then?"

"Saturday's good." Christine agreed.

* * *

Christine got up early the next day to find Trister curled up on the bed beside her. She smiled and kissed his head.

"You're so cute." She told him and he looked up at her, blinking. She stretched and got up, scratching her back as she went to the bathroom. After a wonderfully hot shower she dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast. After considering the contents of the cupboard, she took out bran flakes and poured them into a bowl, splashing it generously with milk. Trister came down, limping slightly on his leg. Christine was now faced with the task that most dog owners find impossible. Trying to persuade the dog to swallow his pill. After a few tries of trying to get him to simply swallow it, Christine wrapped it in a piece of meat and threw it to him. He unwittingly jumped up to catch it and swallowed before he realised what had happened.

"Cute, but not bright." She told him, eating a spoonful of cereal. Trister simply began to scratch at the bandages. Christine swiped his claws away and sighed, knowing they would need to be changed. She put her breakfast bowl on the table and sat cross legged, pulling him to her.

"Come here, you little pain." She told him, his tail wagging cheerfully. She unwrapped the white cloth and he instantly began to lick the wound. She got up to fetch new bandages and did them to the best of her ability. They weren't as neat as Erik's had been, but they would suffice.

She finished her breakfast quickly and began to tame her hair. This in itself took some time but finally it looked passable. She put on some eyeliner and mascara. She was extremely grateful for having been blessed with almost flawless skin. The number of times Meg had been distraught over a blemish had never happened to her. However, whereas Meg had gorgeously straight hair, Christine's had always been a mass of unruly curls. She didn't mind it, but it would have been nice occasionally not to have to spend ages fussing over it to prevent it frizzing uncontrollably.

After a brisk walk with Trister around the park, Christine climbed into her car and set off for the theatre. Nadir was the only one in there, reading through a sheet of paper. He smiled at her.

"Good morning."

"Morning, Mr Khan. Are we the only ones here?"

"Mr Destler and Dr Carter are in the office, and I think June is in the costume room. Ready for _The Point of No Return_?"

"Are we doing that _today_?" Christine said, horrified. Nadir nodded and smiled.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"You don't have Max feeling you up, you're OK." Christine pointed out. Nadir shrugged and grinned.

"It's all an act, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. It's still a little embarrassing though."

She began to warm up, playing her scales on the piano. Nadir considered her as she practised. He could see exactly why Erik was so infatuated. But still… not a professional attitude. She was at least ten years younger than him and Erik's first visit to her house had been after running over her dog. Not a good way to start things.

Erik emerged from the office with Dr Carter and spied Christine. He hesitated and then approached her.

"How is Trister?"

"Oh, he's fine. He's got some pills to take, but he's doing alright." She said with a smile. He returned it.

"I'm glad."

"Good morning!" said Max cheerfully, entering with a coffee in one hand and his bad in the other. He sat down and stretched. "TGIF has never been more true."

"I really need this weekend." Christine agreed. Max grinned at her, apparently not bothered that Erik was watching.

"Got any plans for the weekend?"

"Hmm. I'm going out with my friend tomorrow and I plan to slob at home on Sunday and get some washing done. I'm almost out of clean clothes. Not to mention practising and assuring my aunt that I'm still alright, despite having seen her just two weeks ago." Christine said, tying her hair back. Max pulled a disappointed face.

"No chance of a coffee?"

"Not this weekend. Maybe next week sometime." Christine said vaguely.

Dr Carter rubbed his hands together.

"Whilst you're both here, you can get practising _The Point of No Return_." Max whistled.

"We're going for the big one?"

"Actually, I rather think that _Down Once More_ is the big one. But this is also quite important." Nadir smiled. Max glanced at Christine.

"I'm for it."

"Let's get going." She agreed. Erik took them to the small studio and made them sing through it at least five times before letting them run through it with actions. Nadir came in as they were doing it and said,

"The set is ready for this scene, if you want to try it on the stage." He said. Erik nodded.

"Perhaps they'll put a little emotion into it if they can get the feel of it." He said pointedly.

With Tom and Nadir sat in the front row, watching, Christine and Max had hardly felt more nervous about doing a scene. Erik set them in their positions and told them to go, standing on the edge of the stage, watching closely. Max began to sing, acting out the actions as Erik had told him to and doing them well. Christine started to sing her section but a before she could do more than a few lines there was a loud crack. She looked up in time to see one of the lighting fixtures falling straight for her.

Before she had time to react, she felt herself flung across the stage as the fixture crashed down. People were screaming and when she managed to regain her senses, she felt someone lying across her. When she managed to open her eyes, she found Erik lying over her. He stared down at her, breathless.

"My God… are you alright?" He whispered hoarsely. Christine nodded, shaking violently. Erik knelt up, pulling himself off her, helping her to sit up. She looked across the stage at the sparking debris that had landed exactly where she had been standing. Her hands went to her mouth and she tried to stop the tears but they leaked out anyway.

Max knelt beside her.

"Christine, are you hurt?" She shook her head, still unable to speak. Erik touched her hand and she suddenly flung her arms around him, sobbing into him. He looked surprised but hugged her back.

"It's alright…" he told her softly. She pulled back and whispered,

"What happened?"

"I intend to find out." Erik said icily, standing up. He looked up at the where the light had been and shouted,

"Is someone up there?"

"It's me, Mr Destler. The rope holding the light snapped." Said one of the stagehands.

"What do you mean, it snapped? All props were carefully checked before we started rehearsals!" Erik shouted. The stagehand looked down miserably.

"I don't know. It's frayed, as if it hadn't been changed in ages."

"I suppose it's possible we missed one on our check." Dr Carter said reasonably. Erik turned on him.

"May I remind you, Dr Carter, that Miss Danes could have been killed? We do not have room for errors! All the props and equipment will be checked _again_. Is that understood?"

He looked up at the stagehand again.

"And _you_ should be lucky if you're not fired for this!" He stopped as he felt a light hand on his arm. He looked down at Christine who watched him with tearful brown eyes.

"Please…. Mr Destler, it was an accident… it was an _accident_… please don't fire anyone." Erik stared down at her determined face and then up at the stagehand, who was waiting for his verdict. Then he turned away.

"Clear that mess off the stage. We're here to rehearse."

Christine suddenly felt the need for some fresh air. She slipped off the stage and went to the door, heading out into the sunshine. A cool breeze ruffled her hair and she sighed, closing her eyes. A noise made her turn and she found Max beside her. He was frowning.

"Are you sure you're OK?" He asked.

"Of course. What's a little near death experience anyway?" Christine joked weakly. Max didn't smile back. Christine put a hand on his arm.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

"I just… I thought… I should have saved you!"

"Max, you were on the other side of the stage. You couldn't have." Christine pointed out. He ran an agitated hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in various directions. Christine smiled slightly and reached up to smooth it down again. But Max caught her hands in his and pulled her too him, kissing her.

For a moment Christine couldn't react. And then Max pulled away, frowning slightly.

"I should have saved you." he whispered. Christine swallowed hard and said quietly.

"Max, it's OK. I'm alright, nobody was hurt."

"But you could have been. You could have been." Max whispered and kissed her again. Christine pulled back and looked at him.

"No, Max. I… I can't…"

"I'm sorry. I was just… Jesus, I was scared, Christine. For a moment I thought you were…" he couldn't finish and Christine felt a rush of pity for him. She hugged him.

"You're such a good person, Max. But I can't make you happy. I don't think that I can ever feel the way about you that you do about me. And I am so sorry for that. I wish… I wish I could but it's just not who I am. I don't think I can feel that way about anyone." She said sadly.

Max looked down at her and then hugged her back.

"Maybe one day? If you think you could…"

"If I could, I would. Maybe one day… maybe." Christine replied. Max smiled, his eyes shining a little.

"Well… I live in hope then. And I'm not going to stop trying. Maybe if I bug you enough you'll give in."

"Not likely." she laughed and then kissed his cheek. "But we'll definitely go for coffee sometime."

"Deal. We should probably get back in before Dr Carter has an embolism." Max smiled. "And in the meantime I'll just have to settle for feeling you up and kissing you during _Down Once More_."

"Pervert." She muttered, elbowing him in the ribs

* * *

Erik watched from behind the door, hidden in the shadows. Max was talking desperately and Christine put a hand on his arm. Then she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. Max seized her hand and kissed her.

Erik felt sick.

Christine didn't move. Max whispered something and Christine replied. And then they were kissing again.

He had seen enough. Erik turned and stormed back into the theatre. Nadir took one look at him and said,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Get rehearsals going. I need a drink." Erik said roughly, pushing past to the office. Nadir stared after him and then glanced at the door. A moment later Max Hodges and Christine Danes entered, talking quietly. Max hugged Christine and then went out to the costume room. She looked around and saw him.

"Are we rehearsing?"

"Yes… I think we'll leave _The Point of No Return_ for Monday. Why don't you run through _Think of Me_?" Nadir suggested. Christine nodded and went to the piano.

The dancers were in one of the studios, running through choreography. Rebecca and the other extras were sat around, talking. Dr Carter snapped at them to practise and they started to read through their scores. Christine played _Think of Me_ and then rested her head in her hands. She had a slight headache and really needed Mr Destler to help her rehearse. She glanced over at Nadir who was arguing a decision with Tom and then slipped through the door to the office.

She hadn't been in there before. It was a small room, packed with musical scores, a desk, a few chairs and music players. Erik Destler stood by the desk, a glass in his hand. Christine hesitated and then said,

"Mr Destler?" He turned sharply and saw her.

"Miss Danes. Did you want something?" he said calmly. Christine licked her dry lips.

"I wanted to say thank you. For saving my life."

"You're welcome. Anything else?" he said brusquely. Christine frowned.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked.

Erik laughed humourlessly and turned to her.

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"I have no idea, Mr Destler; I'm not a mind reader. Are you angry with me?" she repeated the question and Erik didn't reply. She stared at him.

"Why? What have I done?"

"I don't have time. We have rehearsals."

"No! Not until you tell me what I've done! Because, frankly, I've been having a really crap day. First the near death experience, having to tell a really lovely guy that I don't feel want to go out with him which is never an ego-booster, I have a splitting headache, I can't get my song right and now you're being all moody with me. So what have I done?" Christine said angrily, folding her arms across her chest.

Erik stared at her and blinked vacantly. Was his hearing playing up? No… she had really said…

"You haven't done anything. I'm simply… annoyed about the lighting fixture. Everything was supposed to have been checked. I'm sorry for being short-tempered with you." She looked at him warily.

"So you're not upset with me?"

"No." he said, smiling slightly. She winced.

"So I yelled at you for no reason?"

"Yes."

"Oh… sorry." She said weakly. Erik smiled and put his drink down.

"You're very much forgiven. Shall we rehearse?"

"Please let's." She said, turning to the door.

* * *

After the rehearsal, Max approached Christine.

"You OK?"

"Yes. You've been asking me every five minutes." She smiled. Max grinned and scratched the back of his head boyishly.

"Well, you know, just want to make sure… anyway, there's a group of us going for some food. Do you want to come?"

"Oh, I'm going to stay here. Mr Destler is going to help me with _Phantom of the Opera_. I can't get the breathing right at the end."

"Oh, OK. I'll see you Monday?" he said.

"Monday." She confirmed with a smile.

Max grinned and then kissed her cheek. Flushing slightly, he headed for the door. Christine picked up her score and waited for Erik. He was talking quietly with Dr Carter, who said something and then left, with a goodbye as he left. Nadir stood by the door.

"Erik, what time shall I send the car?"

"I'll make my own way home, Nadir. I'm a grown man and perfectly capable." Erik said testily. Nadir shrugged.

"I'm only doing my job."

"I will cope. Take the afternoon off."

"Thank you." Nadir said, sounding surprised. But he left without pushing him further.

Erik turned to Christine.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"We'll stay in here, so we can deal with the echo. It will save time in the long run." He said briskly, sitting at the piano. Christine put her music on the stand in the curve of the piano and waited for her cue. Her first verse went perfectly and she waited. Sure enough, Erik began to sing the part of the Phantom. Christine listened with a sense of pleasure at his luxurious voice, until her turn came to sing again.

When they had finished, Erik stopped playing and looked at her, considering her carefully. Christine waited patiently for his verdict. He didn't speak, his hand stroking his chin thoughtfully. Eventually he said,

"You do have a rather extraordinary voice. You sing the song perfectly, but you don't put enough emotion into the last few notes. If you do that, I believe that you will sound better. Do you act when you sing?"

It was a peculiar question but she answered truthfully.

"Yes. I act, because that's what I'm supposed to do."

"No. You have to believe that you _are_ Christine Daae. Otherwise you will never reach your full potential. Wait here."

He went through a door to the stairs that led up to the technicians' room, overlooking the stage. Christine waited and then smiled as the lights turned off, and the stage flooded in soft yellow light. It was currently set up to look like the Phantom's lair. Max and Christine would move down the centre aisle in this song, split off in front of the stage, go up the steps on opposite sides of the stage and join in the centre again.

"Go to the back." Erik's voice came over the microphones and Christine hurried to the back of the room, where she would be when the song started. A moment later the song began to play and Erik appeared at her side, taking her hand as the pounding organ music came over the speakers.

They moved slowly down the centre aisle and Christine suddenly found it much easier to relate to her character. Where Max was simply Max, her own age, fun, cheerful, Erik was far more like the Phantom. And not just because of the mask. He was mysterious, older, even dangerous.

They sang the first two verses and then they reached the end of the aisle, moving away from each other but keeping their eyes on each other, on every movement that the other made. Christine sang,

"_Those who have seen your face_

_Draw back in fear_

_I am the mask you wear…_"

He came in perfectly,

"_It's me they hear_."

They began the next section in harmony, mounting the steps and moving towards each other. When they reached the centre of the stage, Christine began to sing the rising and falling notes and Erik moved behind her, putting a hand on her waist and shouting the words "_Sing my angel of music!_"

Her mind went blank. She lifted her face to the empty seats, imagining a thousand faces watching in wonder as she released the song that had been caged within her. Erik stood behind her, one hand on her waist, the other just below her throat as he said those words in a hauntingly captivating voice.

She didn't run out of breath. She didn't strain for the notes. She just sang. She felt she could have gone on singing forever. And then the song ended on that final, inhumanly high note. Erik didn't move and neither did she. The note hung in the air, echoing to the darkest corners of the theatre.

Erik stared down at her. Her eyes were staring straight ahead and he could feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the look of amazement on her face. God, he couldn't bring himself to move. But he had to. She was… he had to move.

He let his hands fall and she turned to look for his approval. He smiled.

"That was perfect. Did you find it easier?"

"Yes… yes, it was as if I knew exactly what to do."

"Will you be able to do it with Mr Hodges?"

"I think so. I just have to remember what it feels like." She whispered. Erik felt his breath catch in his throat and he stepped back.

"Let's go through it on the piano again." he said calmly. Christine nodded and they climbed down from the stage. Erik went upstairs to switch the lights back on and then sat at the piano. Christine had to force herself to keep her eyes on her music, because otherwise, she feared, she wouldn't be able to look away from him.

* * *

When they had finished, Christine said, a little awkwardly,

"Mr Destler? If you want… I mean, I could give you a lift home. If you want. I mean, I know you have a car and everything…" she fell silent. Erik smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Miss Danes. That would be nice."

They locked up the theatre and went to the car and climbed in. Christine pulled her seatbelt on, asking as she did so,

"Whereabouts are we going?"

"It's a little outside town. Do you know Rochdale Avenue?"

"Oh, yeah, I know it." Christine said, slightly awed. Rochdale Avenue consisted of only a few incredibly huge mansions, surrounded by walled land, usually with guard dogs and security cameras every few feet.

They drove in silence, listening to the radio. It was fixed on the local classical station. It was the only station Christine listened to, unless she needed the news. Erik had no objections to her choice in music and listened in pleasure. Eventually Christine said,

"Can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"Why are you supporting a university musical? Not that I don't appreciate it, because I do. But you seem like someone who has far more important things to deal with. It just seems a little odd that you'd take so much interest in something like this." She said, rolling down the window to blast away some of the intense heat of the sun. Erik glanced over at her and she looked at him briefly before returning her eyes to the road.

"I used to produce operas in France and New York." He said after a moment. She looked at him quickly.

"Really?"

"Yes. But I grew sick of it. There are people out there who do not properly respect music as they should and I couldn't stand to be among them anymore. So I came here and put my energy into other things. But when I heard that the university was putting on this particular musical, I decided to take part."

"I'm glad you did. I don't know where we'd be if you weren't helping." She said with a smile.

Erik smiled too and she said,

"I take it you're a big fan of _Phantom_?"

"I always have been."

"I guessed." She said. Erik frowned slightly, wondering if this was a jab at his mask. But she continued,

"You know it so well. You know exactly what should be happening in each part. So you must love it, to have that sort of insight."

Erik smiled to himself, watching her as she drove.

"Yes… yes, I do love it."

"Me too. Mum and Dad always wanted me to be in it. They told me that I'd be Christine, of course, and that I could meet my Phantom, just like they met." Christine said, taking a left turn. Erik considered her.

"Did you want to?"

"Of course. I love the music so much, love the characters. But that's all they are. Characters."

They stopped at a set of traffic lights and she looked at him sideways.

"I don't think Christine would choose the Phantom twice. You just don't get that lucky, not in real life. My parents were a special case."

"But Max Hodges certainly seems eager." Erik said, wondering if he should even be bringing it up. Christine smiled slightly.

"Yes. He is. But I'm not as eager."

"Why not?"

The lights turned to green and Christine started to drive again. For some time she didn't answer and Erik wondered if he had offended her somehow. He said, cautiously,

"I'm sorry, if I've offended you."

"No, you haven't. I'm just trying to think of the answer. Max is… well, he's wonderful. I suppose if things were different I would have said yes to him. And it's not that I don't _want_ to be with someone."

She thought for a moment and then said,

"I think I'm waiting for someone who is never going to come. Someone who isn't ever going to want to be with me. Someone completely unattainable."

"No one could ever want to not be with you."

He'd said it before he could stop himself and promptly bit his tongue. Christine simply smiled, staring ahead at the road.

"I wonder if my Phantom is out there. If he's waiting for me."

"He is."

"You sound very confident." She smiled. He smiled too.

"Well, at least I _sound_ it."

She laughed at that and Erik couldn't help smiling. Her laugh was as clear as her voice, like the peal of bells. She smiled widely as the breeze through the window tossed her curls back from her face.

"It's nice to know that you're not as certain as you always seem." She said. Erik shrugged.

"I'm only human."

"Hmm." Christine made the noise quietly, but the smile didn't fade from her face as they pulled onto Rochdale. She gazed at the houses in awe.

"Which palace is yours?" she asked and Erik smirked.

"The one at the very end."

They drove down the street and Christine pulled over beside the gate to the house. She peered through the window and her jaw dropped.

"_Wow_…"

"Yes, most people seem to get that impression." Erik commented. "Drive up to the gate, the guard will let us in."

"A guard. Now there's something every house needs." Christine muttered, driving to the gate. A small sentry box stood beside it and the guard lowered his face to peer at her. She swallowed nervously.

"Can I help you, Miss?" he asked but Erik leant over.

"The gate."

"Mr Destler! Of course, sir." The guard hurriedly pressed in the code and the wide gates started swing open. Christine pressed the pedal and they started down the long driveway. She stared at the house as they got closer.

It was a reasonably old building, made from large grey stones. It was at least three floors high, and she had no idea if there were cellars as well. From her view of the front of the house, she could see at least eight windows on each level, and she couldn't see how far back it went. The front of the house was layered with ivy.

"Well, that's not at all intimidating." She commented. Erik smiled and she pulled up outside the front door.

"I'll have someone drive the car to the garage." He said, undoing his seatbelt. Christine blinked but had no time to reply because a smartly dressed man had hurried out. Erik climbed out of the car and Christine followed. The man held out his hand for the keys and she gave them to him silently, wishing she'd had the foresight to clean the car. It seemed filthy beside the grandeur of this house. But Erik was already moving up the front steps to the large door and Christine had to half-run to keep up with him. The door was opened by another servant who took Erik's coat and then held out his hand for Christine's jacket. She handed it to him and looked around to see Erik moving towards another door. She followed him, ignoring the stare of the passing servants.

They had entered an elaborately decorated sitting room. Christine was so busy staring around that she didn't even notice when yet another servant entered. Erik said,

"Some cold drinks, please. Unless you'd prefer tea?" He glanced at her and she blinked.

"Oh… no, thank you."

"Very well. Cold drinks." He told the servant who nodded and bowed. Christine stared as the door closed and then turned her gaze on Erik. He looked back and asked,

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes… I'm just… overwhelmed. I mean…" She shook her head, unable to come up with the words as she looked about the huge room. Erik smirked at the bewilderment on her face.

Christine moved slowly over to the window, to stare out at the stretch of land surrounding the house. She could vaguely see the wall in the distance.

"This place is incredible." She murmured.

"Thank you. I find it suits my needs." Erik said, settling into a chair. Christine glanced at him, a half smile on her lips.

"You live here alone?"

"No. Nadir also resides here, as do most of the servants."

"That's not exactly what I meant. I mean… this house is so huge, for just one person. I mean, people tell me that my house is too big for one person but this is…"

"You mean family? I have none." Erik said calmly.

Christine winced. Trust her to put her foot in it

"I'm sorry."

"Why should you be? I don't mind. I barely knew my family." Erik said dismissively. Christine looked over at him. He was watching her carefully. Was he trying to impress her, she wondered, with his house and his lands? More importantly, was it working?

She looked back out of the window. Erik considered her. What was she thinking? Most women, once they had seen this place, would start flirting, coy smiles and winks in his direction. Christine, on the other hand, did none of this. In fact, she seemed a little guarded. Eventually she took the chair opposite his as the servant entered with a tray of drinks. He bowed and left and Erik asked,

"What would you like? There's fruit juice, water, lemonade…"

"Some lemonade, please." She said and drank thirstily. Erik sipped some water and said quietly,

"What made you audition for the show?"

She looked at him quickly and then shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I just… I hadn't sung in so long. And when I heard that it was _The Phantom of the Opera_… well. It seemed like a sign. I just thought I'd try. I didn't expect to get it; I thought for sure that Rebecca would get the part of Christine…"

"Rebecca Griffins? Don't be ridiculous." Erik said dismissively. Christine looked at him.

"She's a good singer."

"Not compared to you. She puts more effort into showing off than she does into singing."

This was true, but Christine wasn't about to admit that. She didn't _like_ Rebecca but she wasn't the type to bitch behind her back. So she drank some more lemonade instead. She wondered, again, why she was here. Why had Mr Destler invited her in? Not even really invited her, just assumed she would come in.

Erik watched as a slight frown twisted her delicate features and wondered what she was thinking about. Probably why he had brought her here. He said,

"Is everything alright? You seem a little… overwhelmed."

"I _am_ overwhelmed. It's not everyday I'm sat in a mansion drinking lemonade." She said frankly, and Erik felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile. But before he could speak again, the door opened and Nadir entered. He blinked in surprise.

"Miss Danes. I wasn't expecting…"

"Did you want something, Nadir?" Erik asked. Nadir held out a piece of paper.

"A notice from the local paper. They want to do a piece on the show and we've got a request for them to send in a photographer and a reporter on Monday. We've also got the local television channel requesting interviews." Erik took the paper and read it quickly. Then he gave it back to Nadir.

"That will be fine. Tell them to come to the rehearsal on Monday."

"Yes, Erik. I also need to talk to you about the meeting with the recording company."

Christine got to her feet and put her glass down.

"I'll go."

"There's no need for that." Erik said but she shook her head, smiling slightly.

"I need to get home and take Trister out. He's been shut up all day." Erik was silent for a moment and then he said,

"Very well. Nadir, have Martin bring Miss Danes' car around."

"Of course."

They went into the enormous entrance hall and Erik handed over her jacket.

"I'll see you on Monday. They'll want to interview you."

"Oh goodie." She muttered and Erik's mouth twitched again. She smiled as Nadir came in and told her that the car was ready.

"Thank you for the drink, and for helping me."

"You're welcome. We'll see you on Monday." Erik said graciously. Christine smiled and waved goodbye to Nadir.

They watched her drive down the road and then Nadir glanced at his employer.

"You brought her here?"

"She gave me a lift home. It was only polite to offer her a drink." Erik said, "What's this about the meeting?"

He was very good at changing the subject.

* * *

Trister was sat by the back door, clearly desperate when she got back. She opened the door and he dashed out into the garden. Christine smiled and looked in the fridge to see what there was to eat. Not much.

"Hey, it's Friday. I'm going to treat myself." She said firmly. Half an hour later the doorbell rang and Christine settled down with a Chinese takeaway. Trister watched hopefully in case she dropped some food but soon lost interest. Christine sat cross legged on the floor, a pair of chopsticks in one hand, watching television. Something occurred to her and she reached for the phone.

She dialled a number and listened. The answer machine sounded and she swallowed a piece of chicken.

"Hi, Max. It's Christine. Just to let you know, there are going to be reporters at the rehearsal on Monday. Can you tell Tom as well? I don't have his number. See you Monday." She hung up and picked up a piece of pork with her chopsticks, popping it into her mouth as she glanced at the television. There was nothing on and she switched it off, reaching for her book.

By the time she had finished, Trister was ready for his walk. Christine threw the empty containers out and turned to the bouncing dog.

"Ready for a walk?" he barked and she laughed.

**A/N: Freakishly long chapter. I don't know how it ended up this long, but never mind. Hope you enjoyed it. Poor Max… Poor Christine… Poor Eri- …well, not really poor Erik. He's got his mansion to comfort him **

**Please leave reviews. I have an exam first thing tomorrow morning and knowing I have lovely reviews to come home to will make me feel good. Because I am so going to fail this exam. Design and Technology… pah. If only there were exams on fanfiction… maybe then I'd stand a chance of passing.**

**Lotsa luv **

**Katie**


	7. Chapter 7: Interviews

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Seven**

Christine got there early, as usual, on Monday morning. She couldn't resist being a tad vain, with the prospect of reporters, and had taken special care to look good. And, she told herself firmly, it had nothing to do with the fact that Erik Destler would be there.

Still, dressed in jeans and a white sun top, her dark curls falling free, she hoped she looked decent as she entered the theatre. Nadir and Dr Carter were talking cheerfully with two men, one of whom had a camera. Dr Carter spied her as she entered and said loudly,

"Here's our leading lady now! Christine, come here." Christine put her bag and jacket down and walked over, a little intimidated. Dr Carter put a hand on her shoulder and smiled widely at the reporters.

"This is Christine Danes, our leading lady. Christine, this is Arthur Mackinnon and Jonathon Shrewsbury from the local paper. They'll be watching the rehearsals today and I expect they'll want to talk to you."

"Indeed we will." said Arthur with a smile. Christine smiled slightly and looked around quickly to see if Erik was there. Nadir smiled and said,

"He's in the office. If you want to start warming up, I'll fetch him."

"Thank you, Mr Khan." Christine replied.

Arthur took a notepad out and wrote down her name.

"Christine Danes… You're playing Christine in the musical. Did you expect to get the part?"

"Oh, no. I just thought I'd audition and see where it got me." Christine admitted. Arthur smiled.

"You're glad you did?"

"Of course. Excuse me; I'm supposed to be warming up."

"Oh, go ahead." Arthur said.

Christine went to the piano with her score and waited for Erik. He arrived a moment later and offered her a slight smile.

"Good morning, Miss Danes."

"Good morning, Mr Destler."

"I see you've already been accosted." He nodded at the reporters and she smiled.

"Yeah. I guess I had it coming."

"I suppose so. Scales and then _Think of Me_."

Christine nodded and began to sing clearly, going up and down the scales several times before he was satisfied. Then she began on _Think of Me_. Erik stopped her halfway through to point out an error. Christine noted it down to remind herself not to do it again and they started again. This time they got all the way through and Erik nodded.

"That was good."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Good morning all." Max said, entering with a paper cup of coffee in one hand. He glanced over at the reporters and grinned at Christine.

"Thanks for the heads up. I made sure to get plenty of caffeine down."

"Not exactly the idea, but whatever works for you." She smiled. Erik said,

"Through _The Phantom of the Opera_ please. Let's hope what we did on Friday gets through to today, Miss Danes."

"I think it will." She said quietly.

"Good. Might as well show off for our guests." He nodded at the reporters and Max grinned.

"I think we'll manage, won't we Christine?"

Erik began to play and the reporters came over to listen in awe. Christine sang her part, fixing her eyes on Max's as she did so. He smirked slightly and sang his verse so powerfully Christine was surprised. He really was in his element when he was able to show off like this, especially with an attentive audience. She turned the page and sang her part. "_Those who have_…" She looked up at Max as they joined together again.

Max said clearly, powerfully,

"_Sing, my Angel of Music_!"

And Christine began the part she had practised with Erik. Instantly she forced herself back onto the stage, back to Friday when Erik had held her, his hand on her ribs, coaxing the song out of her. She remembered how he felt, his chest to her back, his hand on her throat, the strength he possessed, the power he had over her voice. She remembered the wonder and intensity they had shared in that moment of euphoria, when song had taken flight.

And then the song ended and she was snapped back to reality. She blinked and looked around. Max was staring at her, as were Dr Carter and Nadir. The reporters were open mouthed. But she couldn't care less about what they thought. She looked over at Erik who nodded and smiled.

"Perfect, Miss Danes."

"Excellent, both of you!" Dr Carter said. Nadir glanced at Erik, who was shifting through his music, with a smug smile on his lips. Arthur and Jonathon exchanged a look and Arthur said,

"That was incredible. You could be professionals for all we knew!"

Tom arrived a few minutes later and Dr Carter pushed them all towards the costume room.

"I want you in your costumes. Yes, Christine, I do mean _that_ outfit." Christine pulled a face as she imagined having to wear the revealing outfit again. Max poked her in the ribs.

"Cheer up. Once they get a picture of you in that outfit into the papers, the place will fill out!"

"Yes, but how many of them will be listening to what I'm _singing_?" Christine pointed. Max shrugged.

"Hey, it's all publicity. And publicity is worth its weight in scantily clad Christines."

Once they were changed into their costumes and make-up, they returned to the hall. By this time, a lot of other people had arrived and were milling around excitedly. Dr Carter clapped his hands.

"Dancers, to the big studio with me! Christine, Phantom and Raoul stay here with Mr Destler. Mr Khan will sort out the rest of you."

Christine perched on the edge of the stage and shivered as she noticed the dent in the stage, where the lighting fixture had landed. So close…

"Miss Danes, I want you to run through _The Phantom of the Opera_ with Mr Hodges. Mr Sutherland, after that we'll go through _Why Have You Brought Me Here_." Erik said calmly. He took Christine and Max onto the stage and instructed Max on how to move.

"As soon as the song is finished, Christine will sit in the boat and you move over to the organ to begin _The Music of the Night_. Show me hold you'll hold her during the final notes."

Max hesitantly put his hands on Christine's waist and Erik moved them so one was on her ribcage and the other was on her neck.

"Like that, Mr Hodges. Don't be ashamed to touch her, its called acting." He said matter-of-factly. Christine waited whilst Max and Erik spoke and then Erik ordered them to do the end of the song, crossing the stage to each other.

Christine couldn't help noticing the reporters standing nearby, snapping pictures of the extras. In particular, of Rebecca in her Carlotta outfit. But as the music began and they started to sing, the cameras turned towards them.

"No! Mr Hodges, did I tell you to do that?" Erik snapped. Max rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's just a bit… with the cameras…"

"I don't care about the cameras. Do as I instructed." Erik told him. Christine frowned. He was being unnecessarily harsh with Max. She returned to her side of the stage and they began again but Christine hadn't even reached Max before Erik stopped the music again.

"_No_! Mr Hodges, you are doing it again. Stop making up movements!" he said.

Max groaned.

"Mr Destler, it's first thing on a Monday morning!"

"It could be _Christmas_ for all I care. Do you need me to show you again?" Erik demanded. Max grinned.

"Might help."

Erik stared at him. This clearly hadn't been the answer he'd been expecting. But he said,

"Fine. Off the stage. Miss Danes, back to your place." Since she'd only gone about three steps, this hardly seemed taxing. She stood, ready for the music as Erik took off his jacket and faced her across the stage.

"As before. Mr Hodges, try to pay attention, or at least force another cup of coffee down your throat."

"Yes sir." Max said, saluting. Erik didn't seem to appreciate this wit and said simply,

"The music, please."

The music began again and Erik and Christine began to sing. Max watched closely, as did the rest of the audience. When they met in the centre of the stage, Erik turned her swiftly to face the audience, pressing her to him as he projected the words and she sang her section. She closed her eyes, lifting her face the rafters as he held her. And the final note arrived. Christine sang it, feeling Erik's hand press against her, half forcing, half tempting the song from within her.

The silence was almost deafening as the song ended. Christine turned her head slightly so she could look up at Erik. He was staring at her. For a moment neither of them moved. Then Erik stepped away from her and over at Max who was watching, open-mouthed.

"Do you think you can manage that? Hand on her neck, hand on her ribs. It isn't rocket science." He said scathingly.

"Yes." Max said confidently.

"Then do so. We haven't got all day."

After they had gone through it several time, Erik ordered everyone to do _Prima Donna_. Since Christine wasn't required for that scene, she was asked to do an interview with the reporters. They sat at the back of the theatre and Arthur asked her questions, whilst Jonathon went a little crazy with his camera at the performers.

"You take music at the university?"

"Yes, in Dr Carter's class." Christine confirmed. Arthur jotted something down and said,

"How do you feel the show is coming along?"

"Oh, it's amazing. Everyone is so dedicated. It's going to be wonderful; I really think everyone is going to enjoy it. And I feel I can say that because I just show up and sing. Everyone else is working on dancing and the backstage people just don't get enough credit."

"And the producers?" Arthur said, glancing at Erik who was watching silently and Nadir who was talking with Tom.

Christine smiled.

"Dr Carter has been really good; he's put in so much effort. Mr Khan is just great. He's so positive and he's always ready to help everyone."

"And Mr Destler?"

"He's… well, you saw him. He's just incredible. He really knows what he wants from us and he'll do just about anything to make sure that our performances are the best that we can possibly give." Christine said.

Arthur wrote that down swiftly.

"That's a great quote."

"You're welcome." She smiled.

"And your Phantom, Max Hodges… what's he like as a performer and a co-worker?"

"Wonderful, as both. He's really friendly, which is handy. I'd feel so uncomfortable if we didn't get along, especially in scenes like _The Music of the Night_ and _The Point of No Return_."

"And Tom Sutherland?"

"Also wonderful. Seriously, both guys are really great, we get along so well."

"Any bad things about the musical?" Arthur asked and she smiled.

"Only this particular costume. It's a little too… revealing for my tastes. But apparently there's nothing I can do about it."

Arthur smiled as he jotted everything down.

"Thank you, Christine, that's great. I can't wait to see the show."

"You're welcome." She said, shaking his hand. Arthur moved off to talk to Max and Christine went to fetch her water bottle from her bag. But as she pulled it out, a folded piece of paper fell to the floor. Curiously, she picked it up and unfolded it, only to gasp and drop it onto the chair, staring at it.

Her face went pale and she could feel herself trembling slightly. She sank into a seat and stared at the piece of paper. A moment later, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up hastily. Erik frowned down at her.

"What's the matter?"

"I… that… it was in my bag…" She stammered, gesturing at the paper. Erik looked at it and picked it up, unfolding it. He read the single line and his eyes narrowed.

_Next time the light won't miss_

Christine got shakily to her feet and whispered,

"Who…? Who would do something like that?"

"I don't know. But I intend to find out." Erik said coldly. Unfortunately, at that moment, several people entered with video cameras and microphones. Erik swore.

"The local television."

"Don't say anything yet. Do it later. We can't miss this chance for the publicity." Christine whispered. Erik looked down at her determined expression and then nodded.

"Very well."

He slipped the note into his pocket and looked at her. His expression softened slightly.

"I will deal with this, Christine. Don't be afraid."

"I don't… I don't understand how someone could have… why would someone do that?" she whispered. Erik put a hand on her shoulder and said quietly,

"I'll take care of you."

"I know you will." She whispered back.

They were both snapped back into reality as Dr Carter came over excitedly.

"Mr Destler, the television people wish to interview you!"

"No. I said I would give no interviews. They may speak with Nadir, if they want information."

"Oh… well… I suppose." Dr Carter said, clearly displeased. He looked at Christine. "Jonathon wants some pictures of you with Max and Tom."

"Oh, right. Of course."

Jonathon was apparently a bit of an artiste. He had taken plenty of pictures of them acting out scenes but now wanted them to pose for pictures.

"Christine, stand between the two guys. Max, stand sideways, looking towards the camera and Tom do the same, facing inwards. Great!" He snapped a picture and took at least six more. Eventually Christine stepped down, only to be pounced on by a television producer.

"Could we ask a few questions?"

"Oh, yes. Sure." Christine smiled. After checking the lighting the camera turned on and the reporter, a stunning blonde woman smiled brightly.

"I'm here at the University Theatre looking behind the scenes at the latest show to be put on. _The Phantom of the Opera_ will be performed in three weeks by the students of the musical department here at the university. Here with me is Christine Danes who will be playing Christine in this stunning performance."

She turned to Christine who smiled.

"Christine, what's it like to be performing in something on this scale?"

"It's amazing, it really is. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed doing something this much."

"How did you get the main part?"

"It was a simple audition process. I sang _Think of Me_ for Dr Carter, Mr Khan and Mr Destler and they gave me the part." Christine said. The reporter smiled.

"Are you nervous about performing?"

"A little, but everyone has worked so hard. It's going to be amazing." She said, sounding a lot more confident than she felt.

The reporter smiled and turned to the camera. After a few words, she made a slashing motion and grinned at Christine.

"That was great. Matt, get the boy playing the Phantom over here and then we'll get some filler footage."

Christine watched in amusement as they interviewed Max and Tom before the reporter asked if they could get Christine singing. Everyone fell silent as she moved over to the piano. Erik sat down and glanced over at the reporter.

"Any particular song?"

"Entirely your choice." The reporter told him and looked into the camera with a dazzling smile.

"And here's a special preview of what's in store, as Christine Danes sings a song from the show, only here on your local channel! Over to you Christine."

The camera turned on Christine and _Think of Me_ began to play. She smiled and lifted her face as she sang clearly, determined to make a good impression. She looked at Erik who was playing intently, watching her too. She couldn't help smiling slightly as she sang to the best of her ability.

When the song had finished, everyone applauded and Christine took a quick bow before looking at Erik.

"How was that?"

"Perfect. As usual." He said with a smile.

Once the cameras and reporters had all left Erik ordered for everyone to gather in the theatre, once they had changed back into their normal clothes. He stood on the stage, looking down on them. Once everyone was sat down and reasonably quiet he said,

"I find it very hard to believe that anyone of you sitting here is capable of harming someone. Generally, from what I've seen, you all seem to be decent people. But I regret to inform you that I have had a member of the cast come to me with a threatening note left in their bag."

Everyone gasped and began to talk. But Erik said over the top of them,

"The details of this note will not be revealed, nor will I say at whom it is directed. But let me tell you this… if I find out who sent this note, before they give themselves up, not only will they be excluded from the show but I will also be summoning the police. This behaviour is _not _acceptable and I will not allow it to continue. That is all."

He stepped down from the stage and everyone started to gossip, wondering who the letter was for, who had sent it and what it had said. Christine picked up her jacket and bag, wanting to slip out before anyone asked her if she knew anything. She heard Max call her name but pretended that she hadn't heard. Just as she stepped into the bright sunlight, her mobile phone began to ring. She answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Christine, its Meg. I've got an emergency, can I meet you?"

"What sort of emergency? An oh-no-my-boyfriend's-broken-up-with-me emergency or an I-don't-know-what-to-wear-to-my-date emergency?"

"The second one. I need to raid your wardrobe." Christine smiled.

"OK, I'll be there in twenty minutes. Come over mine."

"See you soon!" Meg said cheerfully.

* * *

"Thank _god_, Christine, I've got a date tonight to the Villa Restaurant with Will and I have _nothing _to wear!" Meg cried, falling through Christine's front door. Christine smiled.

"Come on, we'll find you something. The Villa Restaurant? That's a bit posh."

"He's a posh guy. I need something that says look-at-me but not too much." Meg said, as they went into Christine's room. She opened the wardrobe door and Christine said,

"Dresses are on the left, or do you want a skirt?"

"I don't know!" Meg collapsed onto the bed, a dramatic hand pressed to her forehead. Christine laughed and pushed her.

"You should be in this musical!"

"Yeah, how's that going by the way?" Meg asked, sitting up. Christine shrugged.

"It's good. We had reporters in this morning; we're going to be on news tomorrow night."

"Oh my god! That's incredible!" Meg squealed.

Christine laughed and went to the wardrobe.

"It's only local news."

"But still! You're going to be famous!"

"Famous, locally. This one?" She held up a red dress.

"No, something paler. Anyway, I'll record the news. Then I can sell it to some major television network when you're famous!"

"They'll love that, I'm barely wearing anything in it. What about green?"

"No, I hate green. Got anything in pink?"

Christine disappeared inside the wardrobe and Meg asked,

"How's it going with that guy? You know, the one you like." There was a loud thud as Christine hit her head. Meg snorted and Christine brought her head out of the wardrobe.

"Ow…" she rubbed the tender spot.

"I'll take that as a not good?"

"I told you, there's nothing there. He's just… he's too good for me. And besides, why would he be interested in someone like me anyway?"

"Depends who it is really." Meg commented. Christine pulled out a peach coloured dress and held it up.

"What about this?"

"Ooh, I like!"

She started to take off her jeans and t-shirt as Christine put the other dresses away. Trister came bounding in and landed on the bed, wagging his tail. Christine rubbed his head as Meg looked in the mirror at the dress.

"Oh, yes. This is the one." She said confidently. Christine smiled.

"I haven't worn it in ages. And it looks a lot better on you than it does on me. Of course, you look good in everything."

"True, true…" Meg said smugly and laughed as Christine threw a pillow at her. She started to take the dress off and as she did so, she asked,

"Do you have time for a coffee?"

"I was going to walk Trister, but we could walk past the café and get a coffee to go, if you want to come."

"Sounds good."

Walking through the park, with coffee in hand, Christine found herself relaxing as Meg rambled on about her date for the evening.

"He's so cute, I'm so excited!" She squealed. Christine smiled and whistled to Trister, who had been sniffing at the ground. He pattered along beside them, tongue lolling out. The two girls sat on a bench to drink their caffeine, Meg still talking about her date. Christine adored her friend, but she seriously had a one track mind.

* * *

"A threat against Christine Danes?" Nadir said in astonishment, as they walked through the Entrance Hall of Erik's home. Erik nodded.

"Yes. And I am determined to find out who it is."

"Any ideas about who?"

"No. I want you to keep a carefully watch out for anyone. It will be someone in the show." Erik said, going to his art room. Nadir nodded and disappeared. He knew he was not permitted to enter the art room.

Erik closed the door behind him and looked around the dark room. The curtains were drawn. He threw them open, allowing sunlight to flood the room. Then he turned his attention to the centre of the room, where a plain mannequin stood. He crossed to it and ran his hand over the roughly modelled face. This had to be perfect, had to be exact to the smallest details. A large television screen stood to one side and he slipped in a disc of footage that Nadir had been collecting for him.

The shaky picture came into focus. It showed Christine sat on the stage, reading through her score, with Max and Tom talking nearby. Christine looked up with a smile as the boys joked about before looking around the room. The next clip was Christine stood at the piano, singing _Think of Me_. The section after that was her arguing with Dr Carter about her _Music of the Night_ costume. Clip after clip of her showed and Erik watched them all, before setting it playing from the beginning. He picked up tools and began to shape the face carefully, tenderly shaping the nose and cheekbones, tracing outlines of eyes. For hours he worked, interrupted only once to answer a phone call.

He sat back to admire his handiwork. He allowed himself a smile. It was almost perfect. The features weren't coloured, but it was as close as he could get. Erik turned to pick paint. He chose the palest skin colour and brushed it softly over the white face, dabbing the merest blush of red on the cheeks. After all, this was a blushing bride, he thought wryly.

The eyes were the hardest part and he did those next. How was he to capture that life that sparkled within her? Erik looked up at the screen again and froze the picture on a close-up of Christine. She was smiling only slightly, not looking directly at the camera, but at something behind it, her mouth on the verge of opening in order to speak. Her eyes were soft and warm, laughing a little. Erik wondered what she had been looking at.

He began to colour the eyes, being careful, constantly referring to the screen. When the eyes were finished he took the pink of the lips, shaping them to perfection. This had to be perfect, as she was. He couldn't afford to have this do her any injustice.

When the colour was done, he reached for the brown wig. Erik had handpicked this himself, not trusting Nadir to do this. And Erik generally trusted Nadir completely. He laid the hair over the head of the mannequin and carefully arranged the thick curls around the face, over the shoulders, securing it in place. Then he stepped back to look at his creation.

A smile graced his lips as the mannequin of Christine gazed back at him. Perfect. He couldn't possibly have done better.

And tomorrow it would receive judgement.

**A/N: Hmm… I wonder who could have sent that note? (Strokes imaginary beard of wonder) Well, obviously _I_ know because I already wrote it. But you don't! HA!**

**Thank you everyone who wished me luck in the exam. I failed. Well, I don't know for sure but I can't possibly have passed. It was like, who cares about the details of a weaving process of nylon? Not that the teachers ever explained any of that to use anyway. But, hey. It's over, down with and I only have ONE more exam left! Woohoo! Unfortunately, from Monday onwards, I'm back at school. Out of curiosity, has anyone else broken up for the summer yet? It's so unfair; we don't break up until the end of July… grr. Stupid English system.**

**Ahem. Anyway, please leave a review! **


	8. Chapter 8: Unveiling and Articles

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Eight**

From the moment Christine entered the theatre the next day, Erik was on edge. He had not revealed to anyone that the mannequin was there. Nadir knew it had arrived, but he hadn't been allowed to see it. Christine smiled at them both as she entered and Erik felt his heart clench.

"Good morning." She said, putting her bag down. Erik nodded and she asked, "What are we doing today?"

"I want to run through _The Music of the Night_ with costumes and then we'll have a go at the _Don Juan Triumphant_." He said, his voice a little edgier than he wanted it to be. Luckily she didn't seem to notice as she took a drink from her water bottle and started to warm up.

He waited until all the members of the cast were ready before setting up for _The Music of the Night_. Most of them sat down to watch as Max took his place, making sure the mask was secure before grinning at Christine. Erik snapped,

"In character, please Mr Hodges."

"Yes, sorry." Max said quickly, composing himself.

Erik was tensed all the way through the song. He barely noticed the occasional errors that Max was making. His eyes were fixed on Christine, the way she moved, the graceful manner in which she followed Max around the stage. And then the moment arrived.

Max led her over to the curtain as the music climaxed and pulled it back. Erik's heart leapt. Christine stared at the mannequin, her mouth open. Then she pretended to faint. Max barely caught her in time. People were whispering, pointing at the mannequin but hushed as Max sang his final line, laying Christine on the bed at the edge of the stage.

The song ended and Christine got to her feet. She moved tentatively across the stage. Erik watched, his jaw clenched, his blood pounding in his ears. Christine blinked in astonishment and stared the mannequin up and down. Max whistled.

"That's… wow." He turned to talk with Tom and Nadir and everyone began to chatter again. Christine stayed staring at the mannequin. Erik moved towards her and asked quietly,

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I just… I don't look like that, do I?" She whispered. Erik blinked. He hadn't been expecting that reaction.

"Yes, you do."

"But… she… she looks so…" Christine's voice faded away.

Erik felt the worry begin to build in him.

"I thought it was a good likeness."

"I just never thought that I looked like that." She admitted.

"Like what?" Erik asked and she shrugged.

"I don't know. It looks so… perfect. I don't look like that."

"You do. It looks almost exactly like you."

"Almost." She murmured.

Erik smiled slightly and touched her cheek with his fingertips.

"Yes. I couldn't quite capture your true beauty in a mannequin, although I certainly did my best." He told her. Christine stared up at him.

"You? You made it?"

"I did indeed."

"Mr Destler, are we going to run through _Don Juan Triumphant_ now?" Dr Carter called. Erik could quite happily have ripped the head off the mannequin and thrown it at him for interrupting. But instead he turned and said,

"Yes, we are. Get everyone in their positions."

And he turned to walk off the stage, painfully aware that Christine was watching him leave, open-mouthed.

* * *

After changing back into her normal clothes, as the _Don Juan Triumphant _costume wasn't ready yet, Christine took her position by the side of the stage. She found her eyes unconsciously drawn to Erik Destler. He was shouting movements at the extras, with Nadir moving about on the stage to get them where he wanted them. She didn't even notice when Tom said something.

"Christine?"

"What?" She said, blinking and looking at him. She rubbed her forehead. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Just checking you're OK. That mannequin looked like it freaked you out." He said. Christine lifted her eyebrows.

"Just a little. Does it look a lot like me?"

"It could be your reflection, Christine. It's amazing. I wonder who made it." Tom said. Christine glanced at Erik without realising.

Tom saw but didn't comment. He considered her for a moment and then asked,

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Christine replied.

"Do you like Max?"

"Of course, everybody does."

"I didn't mean like that." Tom said quietly. Christine looked at him sharply and then sighed.

"…No. I don't. But I don't know why. He's great, the perfect guy. But I just… I can't feel that way about him. I wish I could."

"Is there someone else?"

Christine's eyes flicked at Erik again and then she shook her head.

"No. There isn't. There hasn't been anyone for a few years. I just don't get it, why I can't feel like that. I don't… I don't think I can feel that way about anyone."

"Why not?" Tom asked.

"If I knew I'd tell you." She admitted. Tom smiled.

"I'm only bugging you because Max is one of my best friends. And he really likes you a lot."

"I know he does. Tom, it's not that I don't want to like him. I wish I could feel the same way for him."

"It's OK. You don't have to defend yourself from me. I just wanted to ask."

Tom's name was called and he smiled at her.

"I'll see you later."

"OK." Christine replied. As Tom walked away, he frowned. He had seen her look subconsciously at Erik Destler when he'd asked if there was someone else. She didn't even seem to realise that she'd done it. He wouldn't tell Max though. It wasn't his place. At least not yet. Maybe Christine just had a crush on Destler, she'd get over it.

But he'd definitely be keeping an eye on both of them.

* * *

The rehearsal ended and Christine pulled on her jacket. Dr Carter clapped his hands to get their attention.

"Remember, the six o' clock news tonight! I'll record it and bring it in tomorrow for us all to watch!"

Christine smiled slightly as everyone started to talk excitedly at the prospect of being on television. She picked up her bag and headed for the door. She was about to leave but glanced back at Erik. He was stood by the piano, watching everyone prepare to leave. His eyes met hers. Christine smiled slightly, almost shyly and hurried out.

Erik watched as she left and felt his heart sink.

This was not promising.

Nadir looked at him.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes. Why shouldn't it be?" Erik said flatly.

"I have no idea. Congratulations on the mannequin, by the way. It's excellent." Erik grunted a reply and turned to pick his things up. Nadir couldn't help smiling. He seen the way Erik had touched Christine Danes' cheek, how he had watched her all morning, the way he had watched her leave. He had suspected before, but now he was certain.

After all, the Phantom always loved Christine.

"Stop it. Just stop thinking about him." Christine told herself sharply as she drove to the shops. She needed food shopping and wanted to get home in time to see the news.

"You're still thinking about him. Remember – he's a gorgeous, eccentric billionaire and you're a college student who has regular conversations with her dog." She muttered. After running around the shop for everything she needed she drove home, threw the food into the fridge and cupboards.

At ten to six there was a knock at the door. Christine opened it and Meg flew in, pulling a boy with her, closely followed by Meg's mother, father and grandparents.

"Hey Christine! Thought we'd join you for the big news!" Meg grinned. Christine stared around at the people. The boy smiled. He had dark blonde hair and brown eyes and Meg was clinging to him.

"Hi. Will." He said, shaking her hand.

"I'm Christine. Mr Grayson, Mrs Grayson. Everyone, go through to the living room." Christine said. Soon they had all settled around on the sofa and chairs, talking excitedly. Meg's Grandmother smiled fondly at Christine.

"You must be so excited, dear."

"Try nervous." Christine admitted. Meg had been fiddling with the VCR and had pressed record as the news started. After some information about a car accident, a fire and the weather report, the presenter smiled at the screen.

"_And now for something that has got the local University buzzing. This summer, the students are putting on performance of _The Phantom of the Opera. _Jennifer Rossum went to see rehearsals yesterday and caught up with a few of the performers_."

Suddenly the screen changed to the inside of the theatre, where the camera zoomed in on the reporter that Christine had met the previous day.

"_I'm here at the University Theatre looking behind the scenes at the latest show to be put on. _The Phantom of the Opera _will be performed in three weeks by the students of the musical department here at the university. Here with me is Christine Danes who will be playing Christine in this stunning performance._"

Christine gasped as she appeared in costume. Meg whistled.

"Wow, Christine! Great outfit!" Christine groaned in despair but was hushed as they listened to her answer the questions. Then Max appeared and the reporter said,

"_This is Max Hodges who will be playing The Phantom. Max, what's it like to be working in a performance this big?_"

"_It's fantastic! I'm loving every minute. I mean, its hard work but it'll be worth it in the end_."

"_You're playing one of the most important parts and are working in close contact with Christine Danes and Tom Sutherland, Christine and Raoul. Do the three of you get on well?_"

"_Tom's one of my best friends and Christine's the best person you're ever going to meet._" Max said solemnly. Meg poked Christine and she sighed.

"_Tom Sutherland, or Raoul de Chagny, how do you like being in the musical?_" The reporter asked Tom. He grinned widely.

"_It's an absolute dream come true. I've always wanted to be in a musical. I can't wait for the opening night!_"

A few more questions and then the reporter turned to Dr Carter.

"_Dr Carter is head of music at the university and is running the show. How do you feel its going_?"

"_Its hard work but I'm confident that we'll be ready. It's going to wonderful._"

"_You're working with Mr Nadir Khan and Mr Erik Destler on this. Mr Destler also did some work in shows professionally. How does that affect the performance?_"

"_Mr Destler is an incredible man. His presence alone is wonderfully inspiring. He's working harder than anyone to ensure that this show will be perfect._"

The screen cut to the dancers performing _Masquerade_ and then there were some shots of people laughing, talking, Rebecca singing _Il Muto_ and Bill and Neil, who were André and Firmin, doing their part from _Notes_.

Meg smiled at Christine.

"This is fantastic, Christine! Look at it, it's amazing!"

"It's very impressive." Mr Grayson agreed. Christine bit her lip, knowing that the part with her singing was coming up. Sure enough, the reporter appeared again and introduced her and the camera zoomed in on her. She wasn't looking at the camera though. Christine knew exactly what she'd been looking at.

_Erik Destler_…

Meg squeezed her friend's hand as they watched her sing.

"God, you're good." She said. Christine smiled slightly. The camera zoomed out to show her in full. Mrs Grayson smiled.

"You're not even reading the music! You must know it really well."

The song ended and Christine took a bow, smiling towards the camera. And then, although you couldn't hear over the applause, you could see her turn to Erik and ask something. Erik simply smiled and replied. Christine flushed slightly and then the camera changed back to the studio. The presenter smiled.

"_It promises to be a stunning show. T hat's all for now, we'll be back at ten._" Music started to play over the credits.

Will smiled at her.

"I can't wait to see it!"

"I'm going to book tickets as soon as they're available." Meg's grandfather promised. Christine laughed.

"Well, we're doing it every night for a week. I just hope people don't get bored and fall asleep."

"Not poss, Christine. Not if you sing like that!" Meg said cheerfully. She stopped the record button and winked.

"This is going to make me millions!"

"You're so hopeful. It's rather endearing." Christine said frankly, going to fetch refreshments for her unexpected guests.

* * *

Everyone was buzzing at rehearsals the next morning as they settled down in one of the studios to watch the report. Several people had missed it, but Christine had heard Rebecca complaining to a friend that she wasn't given more screen time. Max and Tom sat in the front row with several others, eager to watch it.

Christine stood at the back of the room as Dr Carter slipped the tape in and pressed play. There were whoops and cheers as the reporter appeared with Christine. Christine herself watched in silence, chewing the edge of a plastic water cup as the interviews took place. She had seen this at least ten times the previous night, thanks to Meg's enthusiasm. She found that she didn't want to see it again and slipped out into the corridor.

"You don't want to watch it?"

She turned and saw Erik in the corridor behind her. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"I saw it loads of times last night. My best friend recorded it and made us watch it over and over. Aren't you going to watch?"

"I saw it last night as well. At least it's good publicity." He commented, walking with her to the deserted theatre. They sat on the edge of the stage and Erik commented,

"I suppose we should be grateful for the coverage."

"I guess…" Christine said quietly. He eyed her.

"You don't sound overjoyed."

"I know… but everyone's working it up be this really fantastic show. What if it isn't? What if I screw up and everyone walks out thinking it was just a waste of time?" She babbled.

To her surprise and embarrassment Erik chuckled softly.

"Christine, you have nothing to worry about. You are the only member of this cast that I know will perform perfectly. I'm far more concerned about Mr Hodges. He could be excellent if he would be serious for more than ten minutes."

"Max will be fine. He really does put the effort in. He'll be great on the night." Christine said, feeling the need to defend him. Erik nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"I believe he will."

"I'm glad _you_ have confidence in me. I just… what if I can't do it right? I want to do it perfectly, for Mum and Dad. But if I don't get it right, I'll have let them down. I want to make them proud." She admitted. Erik looked at her, his eyes piercing her. After a moment he said,

"I don't know about them, but I certainly feel proud every time I hear you sing. You have great talent, Christine. I don't know if making me proud will mean anything, but it's true."

Christine stared at him and then smiled slightly.

"It means a lot, Mr Destler. It really does." Erik smiled back and then said,

"When we are alone, I would prefer it if you call me Erik."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well… OK. Erik." The name rolled off her tongue comfortably, as though it had been especially made for her to say. Erik felt a thrill go through him at hearing her beautiful voice say his name. He smiled and she returned the smile, her dark eyes glinting.

"All you have to do is sing, and the show will be instant success. There's not a soul that could resist loving your voice." He told her. To his dismay the smile faded to be replaced with a frown.

"Someone resisted. Whoever wrote that note… if that light had hit me, I would have been killed. No one could have survived that. If you hadn't been there…"

She took a deep breath. Erik frowned and said,

"I will find who sent that note and they will be punished. I promise you that."

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep." Christine whispered. Erik felt as though something had taken over his body. He reached over and took both her hands in his. She looked from their joined hands to his eyes. He said in an almost inaudible voice,

"I promise."

They could have sat like that for hours, or maybe just a few seconds before they heard the others coming back to the theatre. The programme had finished. Erik gently released Christine's hands and got to his feet, sitting at the piano as the cast entered, talking excitedly. Christine watched Erik go and then looked down at her hands. She could still feel the warmth of his fingers wrapped around her own, the strength that lay hidden there.

Max wandered over and said,

"You didn't watch?"

"I saw it last night." She explained. He considered her.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes, why?"

"You're a bit red." She pressed her hands to her cheeks and felt, to her dismay, that her face was warm. She shrugged.

"I'm just hot. The weather is so warm."

"Hey, let's not complain or it might start raining." He grinned. She smiled faintly.

"Right now, I'd love a little rain. It's too hot."

They stopped talking as Dr Carter said,

"OK folks, you saw the report. Let's make this show everything they said it would be! I want a complete run-through from the _Prologue_ up to _Notes_. Let's move!"

Everyone started to rush around to their places. Christine stood beside Terri, the girl playing Meg, who didn't look at her. Terri was one of Rebecca's friends and had never been particularly friendly towards Christine. But Christine was too preoccupied with her own thoughts about the show,

She would make it great. She would make her parents proud.

She would make _Erik_ proud.

* * *

The rehearsal went perfectly. Everyone seemed to have been inspired by the report and performed perfectly. Even Erik didn't have anything to complain about and they all left the theatre in good spirits. Max bounded up to Christine and grinned.

"Do I really have to ask?" He said.

"Coffee or food?"

"Coffee."

"Give me two minutes." She smiled and went to put her things in her car. When she returned, she and Max walked the ten minutes to the café.

They discussed the rehearsal, with a sense of self-satisfaction at having pulled the whole thing off without a single mistake.

"Did I hurt you after _I remember_? I pushed you pretty hard." Max asked, chewing a doughnut. Christine shook her head.

"No, it was just right. If we do that on the night, we've got nothing to worry about."

"Hey, seeing yourself on TV gives your self-esteem one hell of a boost. And, sorry to brag, but I look _damn_ sexy in that mask!" Max grinned.

Christine laughed and hit his arm.

"My god, you're so arrogant!"

"But sexy." He smirked. Christine snorted and shook her head in despair. Max shrugged and bit into another doughnut.

"You carry on eating like that and you won't be able to even fit into your outfit." Christine told him. He grinned through a mouthful of dessert.

"I've got a fast metabolism. I never seem to put on weight."

"Maybe not now. But when you hit thirty, you're going to wake up with a tyre around your waist." Christine told him, sipping her coffee. Max seemed unconcerned as he took another doughnut.

As they walked back to the theatre half an hour later, Max said,

"Do you reckon we can pull this off? I know we did well today but…"

"I was thinking the same thing earlier. But Mr Destler thinks we'll be good, so I'm trying to tell myself the same thing. I mean, he _clearly_ knows what he's talking about."

"True. Well, I'll see you tomorrow?" Max asked as they reached the car park. Christine gave him a quick hug.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

She spent the evening lazing around the house with a book, not feeling like being sociable. Eventually she decided to turn in for an early night. Trister lay at the foot of the bed, twitching occasionally in his sleep as she lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh my god…!" She moaned when she realised that she had spent the last twenty minutes going over the way Erik had touched her hands.

Christine rolled over, burying her face in the pillow.

"You're such an _idiot_." She told herself firmly. After a moment she added, "And you're talking to yourself again. This isn't good."

Trister stretched his legs out, grunting slightly. Christine stroked his soft ears and sighed.

"Trister, I think I've finally lost it." Trister simply wagged his tail once and went back to sleep. Christine grunted and closed her eyes, determined to go to sleep.

* * *

Wednesday dawned bright and clear. Christine went downstairs and flicked on the radio as she let Trister into the garden. She set it to the local news, hoping to catch the weather. To her surprise, she found that they were expecting heavy rain within the hour.

"Max will be disappointed." She said idly as she made herself scrambled eggs. Trister trotted in and she put down a bowl of milk and a dog biscuit for him. He crunched the biscuit and lapped thirstily at the milk as she sat down with toast and eggs. The newspaper had arrived and she glanced through, knowing that this would be the paper with the information about the musical.

They had used the centre pages, as well as the pages on either side of the centre to show pictures and information about the show. In the very centre of the main pages was the picture of Christine, Tom and Max, all looking at the camera. Christine smiled as she looked through the other photos. They were good ones, mostly of herself, Tom and Max, although there were several of the dancers, Nadir, Dr Carter and Erik. She noticed, with almost guilty pleasure, that there was only one of Rebecca, and even then it was only with a group of other people. There was also one of Christine stood at the piano with Nadir and Erik, smiling at something one of them had just said, looking as though she were about to speak.

She began to read the article, smiling at the quotes people had given and the information that the reporters had picked up. As she turned onto the final page to look at the last few photos, she started to splutter, causing Trister to look up in alarm.

There were three photographs on the page. One of Max and Christine in _Music of the Night_, Max holding Christine's hand and guiding her across the stage, with the caption _Christine and the Phantom (Max Hodges)_. The second was of the _Prima Donna_ cast, with _Sing Prima Donna once more!_ written beneath it.

The third was of Christine and Erik, in _The Phantom of the Opera_. Christine's eyes were closed, her head tilted back, Erik's hand lying across his ribs, his other hand at her throat. His face was pressed against her hair, his eyes half-closed and his mouth open. The caption below read, _Producer Erik Destler and Christine Danes get into character_.

Christine stared at the picture and felt her heart begin to race as she relived that intense moment. Then she blinked and set the paper down, wondering if Erik had seen it and what he would think when he did.

* * *

Erik stared at the picture in the paper that Nadir had given him. He blinked and looked at his employee. Nadir smirked and Erik narrowed his eyes.

"What is that look for?"

"You. Just look at that picture."

"It's a picture, Nadir, it can be interpreted differently." Erik said, putting the paper on the table. Nadir's smirk widened.

"Well, I suspect many people are interpreting it in the same way that I am. Admit it Erik, you're infatuated with the girl."

"I most certainly am not and only you could come to such a ridiculous conclusion." Erik said sharply, sipping a black coffee.

"Oh, I'm ridiculous, am I?" Nadir said, picking up the paper.

"Yes."

"Then why are you going red." Nadir asked casually.

Erik stared at him and then felt his exposed cheek. Sure enough, it was horribly warm. He got to his feet sharply.

"Nadir-"

"Just admit it, Erik. You like her." Nadir said calmly. Erik didn't reply. He looked down at the picture in Nadir's hands and then closed his eyes in despair.

"Fine. Yes. I do care for her. What's your point?"

"The point is you should do something about it." Nadir said, waving the paper at him. Erik swatted the paper away and turned from him.

"No."

"Erik-"

"I said no, Nadir! She's too young. God, just look at her. She's perfect! Why, in heaven's name, would she want anything to do with me?" Erik shouted.

Nadir smiled and went to the door. As he did so, he said,

"Clearly you're blind, Erik, if you can't see how she feels about you. I'll be back in ten minutes with the car." He left the room, leaving Erik staring after him, open mouthed.

* * *

When Christine arrived at the theatre, she found Nadir and Dr Carter in the theatre, poring over the paper.

"Christine, have you seen it?" Dr Carter asked excitedly. She smiled slightly.

"Yes, I got the paper this morning."

"Think of the publicity! Goodness, I sound just like Firmin, don't I? Never mind, this is very exciting!" Dr Carter said, waving the newspaper around like a madman. Christine smiled and started to search through her bag for her score. To her dismay, she couldn't find it.

"Oh, I don't _believe _it! I left my score at home!" she cried. Nadir smiled.

"Don't worry, you've got time to go back for it. You're early, as usual."

"I'll be as quick as I can." She promised, grabbing her car keys and rushing out. Nadir smiled and turned back to deal with the overexcited Dr Carter.

Christine was back at the theatre twenty-six minutes later, clutching her score. Unfortunately, by that time, the heavy rain had set in, as promised. Since Christine had left her jacket in the building, by the time she got back to the theatre she was soaked through and shivering slightly as she made her way to the front. Max and Tom stared at her.

"Get dressed in the shower?" Max asked. She rolled her eyes.

"I forgot my score, I had to go home for it. And when it started raining, I realised that I had left my jacket here." She gestured at the denim coat.

Max snorted in laughter and she pulled a face.

"Glad _you_ find it funny." She said.

"Oh, I really do." Max laughed but jumped up as he and Tom were called to the costume room. Christine went to her bag to find a hairbrush, with hopes of getting her hair sorted before it turned into a birds nest. But as she was searching through her bag, she felt something warm and heavy fall around her shoulders. She looked up and saw Erik putting his jacket over her.

"You're drenched." He said. She smiled faintly.

"It's raining."

"You'd better not catch a cold Christine, or I'll give you hell for it." He warned.

"I won't, I promise." She smiled, pulling the warm jacket on. She began to brush her hair out and ended up tying it back to keep it out of the way. Erik handed her a cup of coffee.

"It's not very good, the coffee machine here isn't of the best quality."

"Hey, it's hot. That's all I need." She said, drinking it.

He sat at the piano and Christine began to sing her warm up. Max came rushing out halfway through to show her the newspaper.

"Have you seen this?" he said happily. Erik looked very put out at being interrupted and Christine said,

"Yes, I saw it earlier."

"Isn't it cool? We should get it framed!" Max said happily. Christine lifted her eyebrows.

"That's a little weird."

"Nah, this is our fifteen minutes of fame! What's the harm in being proud of it?"

"Just don't let it go to your head. Aren't you supposed to be in the costume room?" she pointed out. He grinned and rushed out. She rolled her eyes, turning back to Erik.

"Where were we?"

"_Think of Me_. Or would you rather do something else?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, that's fine."

She licked her lips and began to sing again. But a few bars in, Nadir entered looking frustrated.

"Erik, there's a problem with the Wiltshire deal. I've got Jones on the phone." Erik stood furiously, storming out to the office as a group of extras entered, include Rebecca. Several of them were clutching the newspaper and giggling. Christine wasn't paying attention until one of the girls called,

"Hey, Christine, we didn't know you were sleeping with the producer!"

Christine looked up sharply.

"What?"

"I figured something was going on, but I never guessed it was something like that!" A girl called Maria laughed. Christine stared at them and Rebecca snorted.

"So _that's_ how you got the part. I knew it had to be something like this, there's no way that you could get a part that good otherwise." She said bitchily, holding up the picture of Christine and Erik.

Christine stared at her and said angrily,

"I cannot believe how petty you're being. Get over it, Rebecca. I got the part and you didn't."

"But you're not denying it, are you?" Rebecca said, smugly. Christine glared at her.

"I don't feel the need to defend myself, because I know that there's nothing going on!"

"Well, this picture very much suggests otherwise." Rebecca said, examining it again. "_Erik Destler and Christine Danes get into character._ I'm guessing that's not all he's getting into!"

The girls shrieked with laughter and Christine felt herself flushing with humiliation and anger.

"For god's sake, I can't believe this! I am _not_ sleeping with him!"

"Is that his jacket?" One of the girls asked. Christine looked down at the dark jacket. It was much too big for her, to sleeves coming down past her hands.

"Yes, but-" She got no further because they started laughing again. Christine felt tears of rage and embarrassment welling up. She turned to run out, knocking over the music stand as she did so. As she ran through the door, she pushed past Nadir. He caught sight of the tears running down her face and looked past to the laughing girls who quickly stopped when they saw him. He saw the picture in their hands and understood. He turned to follow Christine.

**A/N: Aw, I love my reviewers. You guys are simply the best! Again, I've got an exam tomorrow. Yes, Maska, I am taking my AS levels. So not fun. Still, I've got media tomorrow which I'm considerably more hopeful about.**

**I wish I lived in America or wherever it is that everyone who is breaking up in the next week lives! In England, most schools break up towards the end of July, usually somewhere between the 20th and 25th. And we go back to school at the beginning of September. It sucks beyond belief. I'm only off at the moment because of study leave. But my school decided that we should get a head start on next year's work by dragging us back for the final month of school. Morons. Hate them. I'm only sticking this out so I can get to University. I've already picked my top two universities and I can't wait to get out of here!**

**Now that I've ranted and rambled, how about leaving a review? Hee hee. A few more Erik/Christine moments for you in here. I'm taking my sweet time with this aren't I? Well, get reviewing. I'm sat here eating jelly babies and thinking of ways to torture the characters **

**Lotsa luv**

**Katie**


	9. Chapter 9: Discovery

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Nine**

Christine had gone outside and was stood under the wide door ledge to the theatre, leaning against the wall with her hands clasped over her mouth to try and stop the irrepressible sobs. Nadir looked at her and she glanced at him, cuffing at the unbidden tears. He didn't say anything but offered her a handkerchief. She accepted it and wiped her eyes. Then she said miserably,

"You know, if they see me with your handkerchief, that'll only convince them that I'm sleeping with you as well."

Nadir smiled slightly and said,

"It's alright, I'm sure we'll manage to convince them that it isn't true. It's just rather unfortunate that the paper chose to run that particular picture." She laughed humourlessly,

"God, this is ridiculous… that bloody picture…"

"Try not to worry about it. I know that it'll be difficult, particularly with Miss Griffins leading them, but the only thing you can do is rise above it all. Be the bigger person."

"I know but… oh, God, what is Mr Destler going to think? He'll _hate_ me!" Christine whimpered. Nadir shook his head.

"I can assure you that Erik has had more than enough practise at dealing with this sort of thing. He simply ignores it and occasionally breaks whatever he happens to be holding at the time."

She couldn't help smiling. Nadir smiled and opened the door.

"Now, get inside before Erik and Dr Carter have my head." She went inside and handed him the handkerchief.

"Thank you. Could you give this to Mr Destler?" She gave him the jacket and Nadir nodded. He smile and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Remember. Be the bigger person."

"OK. Bigger. Got it." She said solemnly, turning towards the theatre. She didn't move and Nadir gave her a little push. "Right." She muttered, walking into the room. Nadir stood in the doorway. The girls started to laugh again but Christine walked straight past, picked up her music and sat at the piano, playing loudly to drown out their giggles. Nadir smiled.

"Good for you." he murmured, turning away.

* * *

The rehearsal seemed agonizingly long for Christine. She made sure to avoid Rebecca and her friends at all costs and when they were dismissed, she made sure that they had left before collecting up her things. Max had already left, saying that he had a dentist appointment. Christine brushed her hair out her face, where it had fallen free from the loose ponytail and pulled on her jacket. But as she stood to leave, she heard the door open. She looked up and saw Erik stood in the doorway to the office. Christine looked at him and then swallowed. She found she didn't know what to say and picked up her bag.

Erik looked down at the newspaper in his hands. She saw it too and went red. He said quietly,

"Nadir told me what happened."

"Oh…" she whispered.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just… oh, it's so _stupid_! Why should I care what they think? Especially _Rebecca_." She practically spat the girl's name out and Erik saw fire flaring up in her eyes. He watched as she ran agitated hands through her thick hair and then shook her head.

"Oh, forget it. It's all a load of-" She hastily bit her lip to prevent the word escaping and Erik couldn't resist smirking at her temper.

She picked up her things and looked at him.

"I'd better go. I'll… I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You will." She nodded and headed for the door. But before she left Erik said,

"Christine?"

She paused and looked at him. He continued,

"Christine, I have great admiration for you and no newspaper article could remove that." She stared at him and then smiled briefly before leaving, going rather pink.

Erik sank onto the piano bench and rubbed his face agitatedly. This was so demeaning. It really was a load of –

* * *

Christine took Trister for a walk when she got home, pulling on a thick coat, with a hood over her hair. She walked through the rain lashed park, muttering under her breath and kicking at puddles, sending water spraying. Trister was thoroughly enjoying himself, soaked through and splattered with mad, tongue lolling as he ran around.

Christine reached the end of the path and turned to go back. She blinked fiercely as raindrops landed on her eyelashes, splitting her vision into rainbows. Trister trotted alongside her, tail waving cheerfully. Christine couldn't help but think back to the last time she had taken Trister for a walk in the rain.

_Erik_.

"Stop it!" She told herself fiercely. Trister looked up at her and she patted his head. He rubbed his wet face against her knees and pattered off. Christine continued on to the gate and waited for Trister to catch up before clipping his leash on. They trudged home through the rain, but as they walked, a heavy gust of wind and rain hit them, blowing Christine's hood down. As she reached to pull it up again a truck drove past, sending an enormous spray of water up over her. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell open as she blinked, the water soaking through her clothes.

"Well, yeah. Of course." She muttered, wiping her face and storming along the pavement, glowering at the houses. Trister bounded ahead to sit on the doorstep as Christine caught up. She pushed the key into the lock and opened the door. As she took off her coat, Trister shook himself, sending water everywhere. Christine glared at him but his cheerful expression was too much and she smiled. He instantly ran at her, rubbing his wet body against her jeans. Christine groaned and pushed him away.

It was then that she noticed the envelope. There was no name but she opened it anyway. From inside fell photocopies of the picture from the newspaper, over and over again, with words scribbled over them. _Slut, whore, bitch_ and others that were even worse, foul accusations and insults. Christine stared at the pictures in dismay and then stuffed them back into the envelope.

* * *

Nadir looked up sharply from his place on the stage as Christine barged into the theatre the next morning. Her face was twisted in anguish and he frowned.

"What's the matter?"

"Look! These were pushed through my door last night." She cried, throwing the pictures onto the stage at his feet. Nadir bent and examined them. He felt his heart sink and looked at the tormented girl before him.

"When did they arrive?"

"Some time between 5 and 5:30. I was walking Trister and when I got back…" She shook her head and buried her face in her hands.

Nadir jumped off the stage and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked down at the pictures and said,

"Is it the same person who sent the note about the light?"

"I don't know. Do you still have the note?" Nadir asked.

"Erik has it."

_Erik_? Nadir thought, at hearing her use his first name. But he could clearly see that this wasn't the time to point it out and said,

"Stay here." He went to the office holding a couple of the pictures, where Erik was bent over a picture, drawing a set design. He looked up, irritated at being interrupted.

"What is it?"

"Christine is in the theatre. These were pushed through her door last night." Nadir said, putting the pictures on the desk. Erik looked at them and then closed his eyes.

"This is getting ridiculous." He muttered. Nadir said,

"Erik, this is more than ridiculous, this is harassment. Someone has got it in for that girl." Erik looked at the picture again and then walked past to the theatre.

Christine was sat hunched up on the stage, staring forlornly at the ground. She sat up when Erik entered. He walked over to her and looked over the pictures. She avoided his gaze and then he took the note from Christine's bag out of his pocket. He held it to one of the pictures.

Match.

"Who is doing this? Why?" Christine muttered. Erik shook his head.

"I don't know. But I'm considering getting the police involved."

"No! Erik, if anything goes wrong, they'll cancel the show. We can't do that, we've all worked so hard!" Christine protested. He stared at her.

"Christine, your personal safety is far more important."

"Please. Don't do anything yet. Not until we know for sure who's doing this." Christine pleaded. Erik sighed.

"…Fine. But if you get anymore notes like this, or if anything else happens, I want you to come straight to Nadir or I."

"I will. I promise." She said solemnly.

Erik swiftly picked up the pictures.

"I'm going to keep these, for evidence. Start warming up, I'll be out in a moment."

"OK…" Christine said, crossing to the piano. When Erik got back from the office, Tom and Max had arrived. After warm ups, he had them run through the music for _Down Once More_. This was one of the most difficult songs, as they were all singing different songs over each other and Erik had to keep telling one of them to sing louder, the other to sing quieter and by the time they got noise level right, they'd be out of tune. The four of them grew increasingly irritated until eventually Max snapped and said,

"You know what, Tom? Just take her and get out of here so we don't have to sing the bloody song!"

"Much as I'd like to avoid the song and the strangling, I think Andrew Lloyd Webber would have something to say about that." Tom pointed out.

Christine smiled at their banter and looked down at the music.

"It's like he wrote it to deliberately torture us." She commented. Max snorted.

"Probably did. He may be a musical genius, but that won't stop me kicking him if I ever meet him."

Christine laughed and said,

"Don't worry, we'll get through it eventually. We just need to practise. Really hard."

"Practise makes perfect, as they say." Tom agreed. Erik lifted his eyebrow.

"Ready to try again?"

The three of them groaned but Erik had already started to play. They began again, but when they reached the part where Christine sang '…_turn to tears of hate!_' the door opened and several dancers entered. Erik waved for them to continue as they did so, wincing at the clash of their voices. Eventually Erik stopped playing and looked at each of them slowly in turn.

"We'll work on this again later on. Go and compose yourselves." He rose and went to the office. Christine groaned.

"God, that was _awful_."

"I know… we're really going to have to put a lot into this song." Max agreed solemnly. Tom said,

"I've been listening to the soundtrack and they do it OK. Why can't we?"

"Because we haven't got god-knows-how-many-years experience on Broadway?" Max suggested.

Christine considered the two boys and then said,

"Why don't we try it without the piano? See if we can do it like that… it might be easier, as long as we keep time." Max and Tom looked at each other and nodded.

"Sure, go for it." Tom said. "We can't exactly get much worse."

They began again. It was a little easier, but they still found it difficult. Tom suggested taking it bar by bar, which turned out to improve it a bit. By the time Erik and Nadir returned, the three of them were singing much better, with fewer clashes. Unfortunately Tom couldn't stop laughing when he reached the line 'All for you and all for nothing'. Max and Christine glared at him and he shrugged.

"I don't know. It just seemed really funny." He giggled.

Max and Christine exchanged an exasperated glance and started again. They made it most of the way through when Dr Carter entered and they stopped to sit down and listen to what he had to say.

"OK folks, Mr Destler will take Christine, Tom and Max to carry on with _Down Once More_ to the small studio. The dancers will be going through some of the basic moves and the extras I want in the costumes room. Let's go!"

Everyone started to move. Christine grabbed her things and followed the boys up to the studio. Erik arrived a few minutes later with the CD of the backing track.

"I'd like to get all the way through this today so we can start on choreography for it tomorrow." He said, slipping the CD into the player. They stood around a music stand, each with their score, making notes about cues and breathing as they did so.

But an hour later, a dancer burst into the room. Erik glowered at her and she said apologetically,

"Sorry Mr Destler, but Christine…" Christine looked up.

"What?" She said.

"Your… your car…" the dancer said nervously. Christine frowned and pushed past her, hurrying outside. Erik, Tom and Max followed her outside where she gave a cry of dismay.

The windows of the car had been smashed and spray paint stained the white body of the vehicle. The tyres had been slashed and the doors were dented. Christine rushed over to it and touched the paint. It was still wet. Tom and Max stood, staring in horror and disbelief. Erik didn't know what to say.

Christine looked over her car. The thought of the note and the pictures came back to her and something snapped inside her. She gave a furious shout and kicked the flat tyre of the car in overwhelming fury, clutching handfuls of her hair in anger.

"I don't _believe_ this!" She shouted angrily. Nadir and Dr Carter rushed out, along with half of the cast. Christine had sunk onto the curb, holding her head in her hands. She wasn't crying. She just looked as though she had simply given up.

Nadir looked at Erik.

"I think it's time called the police."

"Surely that's not necessary. It could have been a random vandalising." Dr Carter said nervously. Erik looked at him as though he were a particularly stupid and ugly insect.

"Random. With twenty other cars and this one parked closest to the theatre, thus the most likely to have been seen. Do you really think that likely? Nadir, go and call the police. Everybody inside now. I don't want anyone leaving this building."

"You're not suggesting one of the students did it?" Dr Carter demanded. Erik looked at him sharply.

"Do you know exactly where each student was for the last hour?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then we are taking no chances. Everybody into the theatre _now_." Erik shouted. Everyone started to move inside, talking nervously.

Erik moved towards Christine, who was still sat on the edge of the curb, staring at her wrecked car. He knelt beside her.

"Christine, come inside. We're going to sort this out once and for all."

"…Why me, Erik? Why is this happening to me? Who could possibly want to drive me away from the theatre, from the show, that badly?" She whispered, her eyes fixed on the car, a frown creasing her brow. Erik shook his head.

"I don't know. But we'll find out." He said and helped her to her feet. He walked her through the theatre, where everybody fell silent as they entered. But Erik took her into the office with Nadir and Dr Carter. Nadir handed her a glass of water and said,

"The police will be here in ten minutes."

After ten unbearably long minutes, two police officers, a man and a woman entered the office. Erik swiftly explained the situation and the policewoman sat down opposite Christine.

"Tell us what happened with the lighting fixture." She said.

"I was on the stage, singing my part. And I heard something. I looked up and saw it falling. Mr Destler managed to push me out of the way in time."

"Was it very dangerous?" The policeman asked Erik, who lifted an eyebrow.

"It would have killed her. We simply assumed it was a faulty rope until Christine received the note."

"When was it that you received the first note?" The policewoman asked.

"It was on Monday."

"And your bag was on show the whole time?"

"Yes, I left it on a chair in the theatre. That's why I can't say who did it, it could have been anyone." Christine said. The policewoman smiled and nodded.

"OK. And these pictures were put through your door last night?"

"Yes, between five and five thirty. I had gone shopping. I got home, put the food away and then left to walk my dog. When I got back they were there." Christine confirmed.

"And the car?"

"I have no idea. I was in the studio with Mr Destler, Tom and Max."

The policewoman looked at her co-worker who turned to Erik.

"You think it's someone from the cast?"

"Yes. Whoever is doing this is obviously trying to drive Christine away from the show."

"Is there anyone who has been openly hostile to you, Christine?" the policewoman asked.

Christine hesitated. Erik frowned.

"Answer her, Christine."

"Well… last week, I had a bit of an argument with Rebecca. She blamed me for her not getting the part she auditioned for." Christine said quietly. She sat up. "But… but Rebecca wouldn't… I mean…"

"She was the one who was leading the other girls yesterday though, wasn't she?" Nadir said. Christine went slightly pink and nodded mutely.

The police officers conferred for a moment before the man said,

"Do you have CCTV of the car park?" Erik looked to Dr Carter who nodded reluctantly.

"Well… yes. But I can't believe that one of my students would…"

"Dr Carter, this behaviour has gone beyond simple mischief. This is harassment and vandalism that we're dealing with now." Nadir said calmly. Dr Carter sighed and went into a smaller room off the office. He brought out a videotape.

"This is the tape of the past two hours." He slipped it into the television in the corner and they all turned to watch.

Erik fast forwarded the first hour, where nothing in particular happened. And then Erik, Christine, Nadir and Dr Carter all stared in surprise as a girl appeared on the screen and became to vandalise the car.

"Oh my god…" Dr Carter exclaimed. Christine sat up and stared in horror.

"Is that…?"

"Terri Ennis." Erik confirmed. "Or Meg Giry, as she is otherwise known."

**A/N: Betcha didn't see that one coming! I can't believe some of you thought it would be Max. I love Max! Heh heh, can't wait to see Erik's reaction to this one! Sorry this is a day late. I actually went out to be sociable last night. I know, shocking! Anyway, enjoy and leave a review**

**Lotsa luv**

**Katie**


	10. Chapter 10: Down Once More

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Ten**

Christine sank back in her chair.

"Terri?"

"Has she ever acted unkindly towards you?"

"Well, she's friends with Rebecca. None of those girls like me. But she's never been… openly hostile, as you put it." Christine said, staring at the frozen image.

The police officers looked at each other and then the woman said,

"Christine, you can go. Dr Carter, would you please bring in Miss Ennis?" Christine stood and went to the door with Dr Carter. Everyone in the theatre fell silent as they left the office and watched as Dr Carter crossed to Terri. She looked at him blankly.

"Yes, Dr Carter?"

"Go to the office please, Terri."

Terri stood, looking composed, if a little pale. Christine leant against the wall and watched in silence as they passed her. The door closed and everybody began to whisper. Christine went to the water dispenser and drank some thirstily. Her throat was unbearably dry and she felt a little nauseous. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned. Max looked down at her in concern.

"What happened? What's going on?"

"I… it was Terri. She's the one who wrecked my car." Christine said. There was a sudden hush as Rebecca and her friends stood up, glaring at her.

"How can you accuse Terri of something like that?" Rebecca demanded. Christine narrowed her eyes.

"I _didn't_ accuse her. The CCTV footage pretty much speaks for itself." She said angrily.

Rebecca stared at her and then turned to whisper with her friends. Christine sank into a chair, massaging her head to put off the headache she felt dawning.

* * *

It was twenty minutes later when the door opened. Everyone fell silent again and Nadir looked around.

"Christine, could you come in here for a moment?" Christine entered the office and saw Terri sat, arms folded and glaring at everyone. If looks could kill, Christine would have been a corpse before she got past the door.

"Christine, take a seat." The policewoman said. Christine did so and the woman said in a calm voice that apparently came with the job,

"Now… Terri has admitted to sending you the letters and vandalising the car. But she says the light was an accident."

"An accident?" Christine repeated, looking at Terri who glared at her. Dr Carter looked extremely distressed.

"Terri, why on earth did you do these things? That's the only thing that I don't understand!"

"Because Christine always gets everything! She stole the part from Rebecca, she gets all of the attention in the show and… and she took Max, when everybody knows that _I_ like him!" Terri burst out.

Christine blinked and stared at her, her head reeling from the information.

"This is about Max? You thought that justified nearly killing me?" She said, in disbelief.

"I didn't drop the light! I don't know what happened, it was probably just an accident like the stagehand said. I just used it as a chance to send you that note. I just wanted you out of the show!" Terri said furiously. Christine stared at her in disbelief.

"You… I… you did all of this because you like _Max_?"

Terri didn't reply, glowering at the desk. The policeman looked at Christine.

"The matter now is to sort out punishment. Do you plan to press charges?"

"I don't know… I hadn't really thought about it…" Christine said, still stunned. Dr Carter stepped forward.

"What if we inform Terri's parents and have her pay for the damage done to the car? Would that suffice?"

They looked at Christine, who nodded. And then Erik said,

"I believe that's all then. Thank you for your time, officers. If you'd care to call me at this number, we can sort out any paperwork then." He clearly wanted to get rid of them and did so rather efficiently within a few minutes. Then he turned to the two girls sat in the office and said coldly,

"Miss Ennis, I want you to collect your things. As from this moment, you are no longer in the show."

"What!" Terri shouted disbelievingly. Erik glared at her.

"I believe I informed everyone that whoever was found to be harassing any other member of the cast would be excluded. I am a man of my word, Miss Ennis. Just be grateful that charges aren't being pressed. I will _personally_ ensure that your parents are informed of what has happened here. Please leave immediately, before I have to have the officers escort your from the premises."

Terri got to her feet, slamming the chair back forcibly. She glared at Christine.

"This is all your fault, you stupid whore! Just because you're sleeping with him, you can get away with everything!" Christine's jaw dropped and Erik slammed his fist on the desk. Terri bolted for the door. Erik looked at Nadir.

"Make sure she leaves."

"Mr Destler, don't you think this is a little rash? We've got three weeks to the opening night and now we have no Meg!" Dr Carter fumed. Nadir interrupted,

"There's a young lady in the chorus who would be suitable for the part. Kirstie Ellison."

"You think she could do it?" Dr Carter asked and Nadir nodded. Erik said,

"Nadir, inform Miss Ellison she now has the part of Meg Giry. Dr Carter, dismiss the other students, I highly doubt that we will get any rehearsing done today."

The two men left, leaving Christine alone with him. Erik began to push papers into his case. She stared at her hands and whispered,

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Erik said, looking up at her.

"Causing all this trouble…"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're not the one to blame here. I only hope that we can get the show up again without another dramatic distraction like this." Erik said calmly. She looked up at him and smiled faintly.

"Thank you, Erik. You're… you've been so great about all of this."

"I make it a personal duty to protect my cast. If you wait until the rest of the students have gone, I'll give you a lift home."

* * *

When Nadir had made sure that everyone left, and after reassuring Dr Carter that everything would be fine (this took a considerable amount of time) Christine picked up her things and followed them outside. Her car had already been taken away for repairs.

Sat in Erik's luxurious car, she couldn't help admiring the way he had handled the whole conversation. Erik noticed the little smile on her face and lifted an eyebrow.

"What is so amusing?"

"I was just thinking how much I'd hate to have you mad at me, after seeing how you were with Terri." Christine said. Erik smirked slightly and Nadir chortled.

"You should see him when he's _really_ angry."

"You mean you can be even scarier?" Christine asked.

"Oh yes." Nadir confirmed. Christine glanced at Erik. His smirk widened.

Christine smiled and leant back in the car, looking around at it curiously. She had never been inside a car that had its own television and fridge. Erik saw her glancing over the many gadgets and smiled.

"I have no idea what half of them do."

"You could just live in the car. It looks like you've got just about everything you need." Christine smiled. Nadir grinned and pointed at a button.

"Try that one."

Christine glanced at Erik who nodded. He didn't know what it did either. Christine pressed the button and laughed a small cupboard opened under a seat, revealing a variety of food and drink. Erik looked at Nadir.

"Do you just sit in here on your days off and play with the buttons?" He asked witheringly.

"Occasionally. There's also a DVD player and VCR, CD player, gamestations..."

"You're kidding? I _love_ this car!" Christine laughed.

Erik smiled at her cheerfulness. You really had to admire the way she could push away the negativity of the morning like that. She settled back in her seat and said quietly,

"This has been one seriously weird week."

"Yes, I seem to remember my life being a lot simpler before I started the show." Erik said. Christine smiled slightly and said,

"Bet you're regretting it now."

"Not for a second." Erik said solemnly. She eyed him.

"Really? Even with how badly we were doing _Down Once More_ and the light fixture falling and the thing with Terri and everything else?"

"Even then."

"Wow. You're one dedicated man." She said, impressed as the car drew up outside her house. "Either that or you're completely insane."

Thompson opened the door and Christine smiled at Nadir and Erik.

"Thanks for the lift. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye."

She thanked Thompson and went to the front door. But she turned and waved goodbye before going in. Erik watched as the door closed and then the car began to drive. He reached into the fridge and pulled out a drink. Nadir watched in amusement.

"You were very good today."

"I do my best." Erik said dryly. Nadir said casually,

"I'm sure Christine appreciated it." Erik looked at him over the top of his drink.

"And what, exactly, are you implying?"

"Not a thing, Erik. Not a thing." Nadir said, helping himself to a drink.

* * *

Christine had just gotten back from her walk with Trister the next morning and was opening her post when there was a knock at the door. She frowned. She'd gotten up extra early, knowing she'd have to walk to the theatre due to her lack of transport.

With a piece of toast in her mouth and her half opened letters in one hand, she opened the door and blinked in surprise. She took the toast out of her mouth and said,

"Mr Destler… Erik… What…?"

"I wondered if you needed a lift to the theatre." Erik said, gesturing at the car behind him. Christine smiled.

"That'd be great! Let me just get my things together."

She stepped back to let him in and he closed the door behind him, following her to the kitchen where Trister jumped up at him excitedly. Erik smiled and patted the dog's head, rubbing his ears as Christine chewed quickly on her toast and opened her last letter. She pulled a face and threw it onto the table.

"Bills. Hate them. I'm so glad my parents left me enough to cover everything, I just haven't got the time for a part time job. Help yourself to coffee." She gestured at the coffee pot and Erik poured himself some. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry about the mess. I normally get everything cleared up before I go to the theatre."

"Well, I could tell the car to come back in half an hour. I'm hardly in a rush to get there and have another debate with Dr Carter." Erik said wryly.

Christine laughed and nodded.

"That'd be great." Erik whipped out a mobile phone and spoke briefly to Nadir as Christine started to load wet clothes into the tumble dryer. Then she swallowed her last piece of toast and started to put the dirty dishes by the sink, running the hot water. As the water ran, she took one of Trister's pills and wrapped it in a piece of bacon.

"Catch it!" she called and he jumped up, snapping up the treat and swallowing it. Erik smiled and she grinned.

"I've used that trick every time and he still hasn't figured it out."

She began to wash dishes and flicked the radio on for the local news and weather. Erik picked up a towel and began to dry dishes. Christine was about to object but he gave her a look and she simply smiled her thanks. The phone rang and Christine rolled her eyes.

"Meg."

"How do you know?"

"No one else calls me at 7:15 in the morning. Hi Meg." She said, answering the phone. Erik listened in amusement as he heard Christine's side of the conversation.

"Yes. No. Yes. Actually, Meg, I really haven't got time to chat, I've got to get to the theatre. No, it's not that I don't want to hear all the details of your date but… yes, yes, I know he's lovely. Oh, I didn't need to hear _that_!"

She grimaced and Erik smirked. She pulled a face and said,

"Meg, I've got to go. Yes, I'll call you later. I don't know. Maybe, Meg _seriously_ got to go now. Yes, yes, OK. Meg, I _know_. God, you're worse than my Aunt. I'll see you later. Bye." She hung up. Erik was reasonably sure that he could still hear talking on the other end. Christine sighed as she finished washing the dishes.

"Love her but she can talk for England. And I really don't want to know the intimate details of her date first thing in the morning."

"I was under the impression that teenage girls love to gossip." Erik commented. She looked at him sideways.

"Don't stereotype me! Not that I mind a little gossip occasionally but… ick."

"It was that bad?" Erik said, clearly not believing her. Christine grinned and whispered in his ear. He pulled back in horror.

"Women discuss that sort of thing?"

"No, _Meg_ discusses that sort of thing. There's a difference." Christine said, drying her hands.

She looked at him for a moment, as if considering him. Erik watched her closely. After a moment she asked,

"May I ask you something?"

"You may."

"Did you _really _make that mannequin?" The question surprised him, arriving completely out of the blue. He nodded and she asked,

"You did that from memory?"

"No…" He wondered how much he should reveal and decided for the whole truth. "Nadir has been carrying a video camera around with him. I don't think you noticed, you weren't supposed to. He recorded you when you weren't paying attention, so we could natural shots of you. I used those as references."

She gaped at him and he wondered if he had gone too far. But she simply blinked and smiled faintly,

"Wow… you really do put everything into it, don't you?"

"I do." He confirmed.

"I'm impressed. Although I still think the mannequin looks too…" she tried to think of a word but he interrupted.

"Let me assure you, Christine, I only made what I saw."

"You must have caught me on a _really_ good day then." She laughed, wiping the surfaces clean as Trister followed in the hope of food.

Erik didn't reply, watching her with a slight smile. He found himself doing that a lot these days. Smiling, that is. Even Nadir had commented on it. Christine threw the damp sponge into the sink and dried her hands properly, looking around.

"I just need to get my score." She led him into the living room, putting things into her bag. Keys, purse, mobile phone, score, pencils for note-taking, hairbrush and hair tie.

"What songs are we doing today?"

"_Down Once More_. We're going to get through that song even if it kills the three of you." Erik said. Christine smiled.

"And it might just. I wonder how Kirstie reacted to getting the new part."

"I don't know her particularly well."

"I've spoken to her a couple of times, she's really nice. I doubt I'll be getting any death threats from her, even if she does have a crush on Max." she rolled her eyes slightly. "It wouldn't be so bad if I actually liked Max that way. But I don't, so the whole thing was just so ridiculous."

Erik lifted an eyebrow.

"I doubt Rebecca Griffins will be quick to forgive you."

"Frankly, Rebecca Griffins can go to hell, if you'll excuse the language. I'm sick of her and her attitude. I earned this part rightfully and the only way she'd get it is by prying the script from my cold, dead hands." Christine said firmly. Erik smirked.

"An interesting, if rather unorthodox, attitude."

"I do my best." Christine smiled. Erik was about to reply when the phone rang. Christine didn't move.

"Are you going to answer?"

"I'll let the machine get it. If it's Meg again, I don't think I can handle another conversation with her this early."

The machine beeped and a voice began to speak.

"_Hi Christine, its Trisha. Sorry for calling this early but if you could ring me ASAP, it's rather urgent._" Christine quickly picked up the phone.

"Trisha?"

Erik watched, starting to feel a little worried at the breathless tone in Trisha's voice. He watched as Christine listened and her eyes widened.

"Oh my god… Trisha, that's wonderful! When did you find out? Of course! Oh, I'm so happy for you! Did you tell Mel and Kelly yet? OK, yeah."

There was a beep of a horn. The car had returned. Christine said quickly,

"Trisha, I've got to run, my ride to the theatre is here. I'll call you as soon as I get back. Yeah, absolutely. Bye." She hung up and picked up her bag, astonished. Erik asked,

"Good news?"

"Trisha's pregnant. I can't believe it, I'm getting another cousin!"

"Congratulations."

"Yet I remember after Kelly was born Trisha swore that no way, no how was she ever going through that again. Guess she changed her mind." Christine said absently as they went to the door. She checked again that she had her keys and said goodbye to Trister who was looking depressed at being left behind.

Nadir smiled good morning to her over the top of his newspaper as they climbed in. Christine reached into her bag and took her score out.

"You know what you said yesterday about this part?" She said, flicking through to one of the last pages.

Nadir spied over the top of the financial section as the bent over the score together, animatedly discussing one particular line. Nadir smiled and shook his head. Blind, both of them. Completely blind.

* * *

Christine glanced out of the window as they arrived in the theatre car park. They climbed out and Thompson drove off, with instructions to return later on. The three of them went into the theatre, discussing the day's plans. Dr Carter was already there, preparing for the rehearsal.

"Ah, Mr Destler, just the man I wanted to see." Erik reluctantly moved off with Dr Carter. Christine watched him go and then noticed Nadir watching her with a slight smile. She stared at him.

"What?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing."

He paused and then said,

"What do you think of Erik? Just a general opinion." Christine looked surprised and shrugged.

"I don't know… he's… well, he's like no one I've ever met before. You know what I mean, he's just completely unique."

"Is that a good thing?" Nadir asked. Christine glanced at the office, where Erik had disappeared.

"I'm not sure. Yes, maybe. I don't know. He can be so amazing. Like when he's playing the piano, or singing. And other times he can be so damn scary, it's like he's a completely different person."

Nadir had to admit that this was very true. But he was determined to get something out of her and followed her as she sat at the piano.

"It's quite odd. Normally Erik hates being around other people for any length at time, including myself."

"Oh, that can't be true." Christine, looking up at him. Nadir smiled.

"No, it's true. He only keeps me around because I'm used to his temper and his odd behaviour. Anyway, what I was going to say is that he seems to be perfectly content to be around you for hours."

"Only because he has to. I doubt very much that he would look at me twice if I didn't need so much help with the show." Christine said quietly.

Nadir lifted an eyebrow.

"You don't really believe that?"

"What am I supposed to believe? Erik is a producer; he has to talk to me. If I was just a member of the chorus he probably wouldn't bother with me at all. He's a very professional person." Christine said, opening her score and placing it on the piano's music stand. Nadir frowned.

"What about after the show?"

She didn't reply for a moment, staring at the score.

"I don't know." She admitted softly. "I shouldn't think he'd be interested enough to keep in touch. He'll be busy with other things."

"Do you want to keep in touch?" Nadir asked quietly. Christine lowered her eyes to the piano keys and set her fingers in place. But before she began to play, she glanced at him and said in little more than a whisper,

"More than anything."

And then she began to play. Nadir watched her for a moment and then went out into the entrance hall of the theatre. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the miniature camera he had been using to collect footage of Christine and stopped recording.

* * *

_Down Once More_ went much better that day, but Christine was distracted by the conversation she had had with Nadir.

_What about after the show?_

There. It had been said. In four weeks all of this would be over, the performances would be done and everyone would move on, ready for the new school year to begin.

And Erik would be gone. Christine cursed herself for saying those things to Nadir. There was no way that he wouldn't tell Erik what she'd said. And then she'd be completely humiliated. Oh, it would be so horrible…

A pair of fingers snapped in front of Christine's eyes and she blinked.

"Huh?"

"Checking if you're awake." Max teased. Christine groaned.

"Did I zone out?"

"Just a little. Missed your cue as well." Tom said. Christine searched. She wasn't even on the right page for crying out loud! She swiftly found her place and they started to sing. Erik was still in the office so they were doing it without the music.

"_Angel of music_

_Who deserves this?_

_Why do you curse mercy?_" Christine sang, with the two boys doing their parts.

Christine turned the page and waited for the beat.

"_Pitiful creature of darkness_

_What kind of life have you known?_

_God give me courage to show you_

_You are not alone_!"

She counted the beats and Tom said,

"Kissing, kissing, crying, yada, yada, yada. You two get all the fun in this scene."

"You get to be strangled." Max said. Tom looked at him blankly.

"And that's fun?"

"Sure." Max grinned. Tom rolled his eyes and Christine smiled.

Tom looked at her, grinning.

"So, what sort of kiss are you going for? Quick peck on the lips or full on, lip smacking, make out session?"

"Oh, _definitely_ the second one!" Max said eagerly. Christine elbowed him.

"I haven't put that much thought into it, frankly."

"You haven't? Bloody hell, I have." Max said idly. She stared at him.

"You have?"

"Sure. It's my big moment. I've even been practising the fake tears and I can do a pretty convincing sob." He said proudly. Christine snorted.

"You're so weird."

"No, I'm just dedicated." Max said haughtily. Tom looked at Christine.

"I really pity you."

"Thanks. I deserve it." Christine said with a straight face.

"Still standing here." Max pointed out. Tom and Christine both shrugged and burst out laughing at the expression on Max's face.

He turned to Christine.

"OK, seriously, what do you want to do about this kiss scene?"

"I really don't want to do anything. It's going to be so embarrassing." Christine said, closing her score.

"Nah, it'll be fine. Look, I heard we were doing this song today and I brought breath mints just in case." Max said, waving mints at her. Christine sighed.

"I despair of you."

"Why does every woman I meet say that to me?" Max asked Tom who shrugged. "I thought it was rather nice of me to bring mints."

"It's just a little… weird." Christine admitted. Max shrugged.

"Hey, I'm not over the moon about it."

They both looked at him in surprise. He looked back solemnly and then a grin cracked across his face.

"OK, I'm lying. Christine, is it OK if I picture you in that _Music of the Night_ outfit?"

"You _pervert_!" Christine cried, punching him in the stomach. He doubled over and wheezed. Tom snorted with laughter.

"_Christine_!" Dr Carter said in astonishment, coming out of the office with Erik and Nadir just in time to see her punch him. Christine flushed red.

"Dr Carter! I didn't… I mean…"

"Max totally had it coming, Dr Carter. Christine was just defending herself." Tom said. Max hit him in the arm.

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Since when?" Tom shot back.

Erik cleared his throat.

"If you're quite finished, we'll go through _Down Once More_. To the end. With no interruptions."

"OK, Mr Destler." Tom said. Christine reopened her score and Max nudged her in the side.

"Last chance for a breath mint."

She gave him a glare that could have shot daggers but he simply smiled charmingly before popping a mint in his mouth.

"Men…" Christine muttered furiously as the music started.

They were almost at the end of the song and most of the cast had arrived and were listening happily. They hadn't messed up once, Christine realised as they neared the _pitiful creature _part. She kept an eye on Max though. She didn't want him trying anything just yet.

She sang the section and the music swelled into a crescendo. Max looked at her hopefully and Tom grinned. Christine rolled her eyes and pecked him on the cheek. He puckered his lips, leaning in and she pushed his face back. Erik couldn't help smirking.

They finished the song and the cast applauded. The three took a mocking bow and started to laugh. Christine poked Max in the ribs.

"Nice try." She told him.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Max grinned. Tom nodded in agreement. Erik looked at the three of them.

"That was much better than yesterday. We'll do it one more time and then we can get on the stage with actions."

"Including kissing?" Max asked eagerly. Erik lifted an eyebrow.

"That's entirely up to Miss Danes."

"Ha!" Christine said, jabbing a finger in Max's face, who looked noticeably disappointed. As she walked away he called after her,

"But… but… _breath mints_. Doesn't that show how much I care?"

"Max, I don't know how you got her to go out with you once. You'll never manage it again." Tom said cheerfully, clapping Max on the back.

* * *

The wedding dress wasn't quite finished but June said it would be ready by the next day so Christine stayed in her own clothes as they acted out the scene. The dancers were upstairs but the other cast members were watching entranced as Max spat out the words, "_This is the choice! This is the point of no return!_"

They sang quite well, hitting the occasional bad note but moving on quickly. They'd decided beforehand that it was better to just get through the whole thing in one go. Then they reached the kissing part. Christine moved slowly towards Max, singing the part perfectly and slipping the ring onto her finger. Max stared down at her as she approached.

"_You are not alone_!" she sang clearly and then kissed him. On the lips. She pulled back and looked at him. He quickly set about crying as she kissed him again, a little more intently. The music swelled and then faded slightly and he started to sob, clutching his face in his hands. Then he turned away, singing his part. Christine rushed to Tom and began to untie him as he shouted, "_Go now! Go now and leave me!_"

They finished the song and then turned to Erik for verdict. He looked at each of them in turn and then nodded.

"Good. _Very_ good." Tom, Max and Christine all grinned at each other and the cast applauded. Except for Rebecca. But Christine wasn't particularly interested in what she thought anyway, so the sight of Rebecca sat with her arms folded didn't exactly break her heart.

Max nudged her.

"That was one hell of a kiss!"

"One hell of two kisses." Tom added. Christine smiled sweetly.

"No. That, Max, is what you call an incredibly good piece of acting. Although the breath mints did help." She climbed off the stage and walked off, writing in her score. Max gaped after her.

Erik, who had heard what Christine said, couldn't help smiling to himself.

* * *

"No! No, what's wrong with you?" Erik snapped as they went through _Down Once More _again. Christine stopped and ground her teeth. They were never going to get through this again! She could see Rebecca sniggering and felt like punching something. They had done it perfectly before, why was it hard now?

"Well, why don't you do it? Because I really can't get in the mood now." Max said crossly. Erik glared and leapt up onto the stage with surprising agility.

"Sit down, Mr Hodges." He said calmly. Max took a seat and Erik signalled for the music.

"Now, Miss Danes, put a little _emotion_ into it!" He told Christine. She sighed and began to sing the _pitiful creature_ verse.

She moved over to him slowly, slipping the ring onto her finger. And suddenly she was standing in front of him. The music began to swell and Christine hesitated for only a second before reaching up on her tiptoes. She had to, because Erik was so tall, several inches taller than Max. And then she softly pressed her lips to his.

For a moment he didn't react. She pulled away and looked up at him, her hand on the side of his face. He was staring at her in astonishment, as was everyone else. But Christine pressed on with the scene and kissed him again, not holding back anymore. This was more than a scene, this wasn't just good acting. This was real. This was burning passion and longing, everything she had been dying for since she had met him.

And he was kissing her too, his lips bruising hers, his hands sliding around her back to press her to him, not caring that everybody was watching.

"Christine… Christine, I love yo-" He began to whisper.

"**_Christine_**!"

Her eyes snapped open and she saw Max staring down at her. She blinked.

"What?"

"Geez, you sit down for ten minutes and you're out like a light!" He smiled. Christine sat up and looked around. She was sat in the theatre, huddled up on one of the seats. Nadir had told them to take a fifteen minute break whilst he sorted out some sound problems.

A dream, she realised to her disappointment.

"What were you dreaming about?" Max asked curiously and she snapped her head up to look at him.

"What?" She said nervously.

"Well, you were mumbling. Couldn't hear what you said, but I guessed you were dreaming."

Christine felt herself flush red and she hid it by yawning.

"I don't remember. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"I can tell. Come on, we're going through _Down Once More_ again."

"What? But… we just did it." Christine said hastily. Max grinned.

"I know. Mr Destler wants us to do it again."

Christine hesitated and then got up. Tom grinned as they climbed onto the stage.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes." Christine stuck her tongue out and took her place as Erik got onto the stage.

"Just do it like you did before. That was just right." He told them. Christine looked at him and felt herself going red again. Tom laughed.

"Christine's blushing at having to kiss Max again already!"

"I often have that effect with the ladies." Max said modestly and Christine hit his arm.

"Oh, get over yourself. It's just the stage lights, it's too hot. But frankly, as long as none of them are hitting me on the head, I'll manage."

They got into place. _Just don't think about it_ Christine thought to herself, _it was just a dream. Nothing more. Just a dream_.

"Go." Erik said and they began. Christine put her all into singing the part and not thinking about the dream.

It really wasn't working.

And then came the kiss. Christine moved towards Max. _Max. This is MAX. Not Erik. Max. Do not think that it is Erik._

_Too late._

Christine kissed Max softly and felt him shiver. She looked into his eyes and then leaned in for the second kiss and all the while the dream was racing through her head. _Oh god, the music_! The music was dying and she should have pulled away by now! She did so, a little too quickly, her hand on Max's face. It seemed to take him a moment to recover but he was soon sobbing and crying.

The scene ended and Erik nodded.

"Good. That's all for today." Christine blinked and went to put her score away. But Max caught up to her and put a hand on her arm.

"Christine…"

"Don't, Max. It was just acting." She said tiredly. He looked at her closely.

"No, Christine. That was a hell of a lot more than acting."

"Max, stop it! It's a _play_. You're not the Phantom, I'm not Christine Daae! I was _acting_!" she said fiercely. Max stared at her and then turned away.

Christine felt guilt rush over her almost instantly.

"Max… I'm sorry. I just… I'd just woken up and I've got a really bad headache and I'm sorry for being so…" He looked back at her and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Christine. I didn't… I felt something just now and I thought that you did too. Guess I was mistaken."

He moved away and Christine sank into her chair, holding her head in her hands.

_I did feel something, Max. It just wasn't for you_.

**A/N: (Wicked Grin) I _love_ this chapter. Characters are so much more amusing when they're all tormented and confused. Mwahahahaha! **

**Ahem. Anyway, as usual, thank you for the awesome reviews! Please leave more!**

**Lotsa luv**

**Katie**


	11. Chapter 11: An Invitation

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Eleven**

Christine barely spoke in the car on the way back to her house. Erik noticed of course but didn't comment. He was still thinking about the way that Christine had kissed Max Hodges and their dispute afterwards. Obviously they hadn't wanted anyone to hear it, but he'd been so nearby he couldn't help overhearing.

They got to her house and she smiled briefly.

"Thank you."

"We'll pick you up tomorrow." Nadir said kindly and she nodded.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

She practically ran to her front door and closed it quickly behind her. Erik watched the closed door for a moment before the car started off and he turned his attention to the newspaper Nadir had been reading that morning.

Nadir had spent the whole rehearsal debating the situation and when they reached the house, he turned to Erik in the entrance hall, handing him the disc that had been inside the camera.

"What's this?" Erik said. Nadir smiled.

"Something that might interest you greatly. Excuse me." He disappeared upstairs, leaving the bemused Erik with the disc.

Erik crossed to the media room, where he kept his films and music, as well as footage of various shows and concerts he had been in, produced or gone to see. He set the disc in the DVD player and settled back, growing more curious by the second. And then he sat up straight as the picture came on to show Christine stood in the theatre. He listened in astonishment as she answered Nadir's questions and then crossed to the piano. Nadir followed her and the camera settled on her face as she replied.

And then came the question.

"Do you want to keep in touch?" Came Nadir's voice from off-camera. Erik gripped the arms of his chairs tightly as he waited the agonizingly long time it took for Christine to reply. She looked up at Nadir and then down at the piano for saying quietly, with sad eyes,

"More than anything."

And then she began to play the piano. Nadir had waited for a few moments and then walked out and turned off the camera. The DVD ended and Erik fell back in his chair, staring at the screen.

What did this mean? He wondered. Did it mean that she…?

No. It was impossible. Why would she… he was so…

Erik rubbed at his head and sighed. This was so confusing. And yet it made sense. He wanted her. It was that simple. And if he was reading the signs clearly, she liked him as well.

But she was so young. And she hadn't even seen him without the mask. If she did, she would… well. It didn't bear thinking about.

And yet, he wondered if she truly would run. After all, hadn't she said that she wanted her phantom? But he doubted she had meant it literally. Not with everything that the phantom had done.

He stood and poured himself a drink. He suspected that he would need several more before the night was out.

* * *

Christine paced her kitchen anxiously, trying to figure out what to do.

_OK, admit it. You have a crush on Erik Destler._

**I do not!**

_No. You're completely, head-over-heels in love with Erik Destler._

**No, I… shut up.**

_Hey, it's understandable. He is super sexy. You should know, you stare at him enough._

**I do NOT!**

_Do too. And what was with that dream?_

**It was just a dream, it didn't mean anything!**

_And the fact that you were imagining Erik whilst you were kissing Max?_

**…Acting.**

_Yeah, right. Don't make me laugh. Face it girl, you're in love_.

**OK, who are you and why do you sound just like Meg?**

Christine groaned and sat on the surface, rubbing at her head. Trister nudged at her leg, hoping for attention and she stroked his nose.

"You have it so lucky, Trister." She told him. He simply licked her hands and trotted off to lap at his water bowl. Christine leant back against the wall.

OK, fine. She had a crush. She was _not_ in love. It was just a crush. A crush she would get over.

… But did she want to?

_NO!_

**OK, you shut up now.**

So Christine did the only thing she could think of. She picked up the phone and dialled Meg's number.

* * *

"OK, I've got chocolate, ice cream, cookies, chocolate ice cream, cookie ice cream and chocolate cookie ice cream." Meg said, bustling through the door with bags of food. Christine smiled.

"Knew I could count on you."

They sat down on the living room, Trister trying to sneak closer to the treats and Meg turned to Christine.

"Spill. I need every detail." So Christine told her almost everything. Meg listened closely and Christine said,

"So… what do you think? A crush or love?"

"I'd say you're about halfway between both but heading fast for love."

Meg knew what she was talking about. She fell in love about once a week. She chewed a cookie and said,

"Have you got a picture of your anonymous guy?"

"If I show you a picture it won't be anonymous!" Christine pointed out. Meg looked hurt.

"Christine, I'm your best friend! Who can you trust if you can't trust me?"

Christine hesitated, groaned, half admired her friend's manipulative tactics and reached into the magazine rack, pulling out the newspaper with the article of the show. She opened it at the centre and Meg squealed.

"Oh my god, is it him?" She pointed at Max and Christine shook her head.

"No." She turned the page and tapped the picture of herself and Erik. Meg's jaw dropped as she stared at the picture.

"Oh my god… he is so _hot_!"

"Yes, I know. What do you think?"

"Judging by your expression in that picture, I'd say love. Or possibly lust. But since you're thinking about him all the time, it's more likely to be love."

"Oh my god, this is a _nightmare_!" Christine wailed, dropping a piece of chocolate which Trister instantly pounced upon.

Meg blinked at her, still holding half a cookie in one hand.

"Why?"

"Because he's much older than me, completely out of my league, incredibly gorgeous, wonderfully lovely, makes me have dreams about him which then affect my performance on stage, I ended up telling him about my parents and two sides of my brain keep arguing with each other and one of them sounds just like you and I'm getting a headache!" Christine cried without pausing for breath.

Meg stared at her and then held out a tub.

"Ice cream?" Christine took the tub and dug a spoon into it, eating crossly. Then she pushed it back.

"I can't. I've got to try on one of my costumes tomorrow and if I've put on five pounds overnight we're going to have a problem."

"Low fat, sweetie. Eat up." Meg said, pushing the ice cream towards her again. Christine took the tub and ate a mouthful of ice cream, staring at the picture of Erik. She put the ice cream down again and looked at Meg.

"What am I going to do?"

"You could just go for a jog in the morning."

"Not about the ice cream. About Erik."

"Ah, much more complicated. Christine, if this really is love then you've got to do something. Because otherwise you'll just go insane. And if it's just a crush you find another cute guy and hit on him like crazy. This guy's cute." She tapped on a picture of Tom and Christine pulled a face.

"Ick. That's _Tom_."

"Is he single?" Meg asked, tilting her head to admire the picture.

"He is, but you're not. You've got Will, remember?" Christine pointed out.

"No, we broke up."

"Already?"

"It wasn't working." Meg said simply and reached for the chocolate.

* * *

Christine looked at herself in the mirror the next morning and said firmly,

"OK. This is not love. It's a crush. You go in there today and you perform better than ever, because you can. He is not going to interfere with this. You have worked too hard."

She nodded firmly at herself and got up as she heard a knock at the door. She went downstairs, grabbing her bag as she went. She opened the door and Erik smiled briefly.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." She replied, feeling a slight flush in her cheeks. Damn. He'd only been there half a second and she was already blushing. She picked up her keys and Erik asked,

"Ready to leave?"

"Yes. Bye Trister." She called to the dog sat in the hallway before closing the door.

Nadir smiled and greeted her as she climbed into the car, noticing that she was sitting a little stiffly, clutching her bag.

"Are you alright?" he asked her casually. She nodded and smiled.

"Yeah… just a bit worried. I've got to try on the wedding dress today."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. June's ingenious when it comes to clothes." Nadir said comfortingly. Christine snorted.

"Not convinced. I still think she went over the top with the _Music of the Night_ costume."

"I don't think Mr Hodges was complaining." Nadir commented.

"Max, much as I adore him, is a pervert." Christine said calmly. Erik smirked and Nadir laughed.

* * *

"OK, go and put this on and then we'll do hair, make-up and get the veil on. I think it's going to look pretty good." June said cheerfully, handing the dress to Christine. As Christine undressed in the changing room she asked,

"June, who designed these costumes?"

"I did some, Mr Khan did some. But Mr Destler designed the wedding one."

Christine looked down at the dress she was about to get into and couldn't help smiling as she put it on.

"I suppose he designed the lace up corset and hook-and-eyes as well?"

"Yup, but I made it to look real without actually squeezing your intestines. I'd love to see you sing wearing a real one." June called. Christine laughed and said,

"It's no good; you're going to have to do me up." She opened the door and turned to let June lace the dress. She did so swiftly and sat her down in a chair without a mirror.

"Can't I see?"

"Nope. I want to get you all done up first. Then you can admire yourself to your heart's vain content." June said, reaching for a brush.

It took ten minutes and then June picked up the veil, attaching it to Christine's glorious head of curls.

"You have great hair." She commented.

"I wish it was straight. Everyone has straight hair at the moment." Christine said.

"No, it's lovely. Makes you look very distinguished." June commented, pinning the veil down She considered Christine for a moment, added a touch of lipstick and then grinned.

"We have a blushing bride."

Christine smiled and got to her feet, looking for a mirror. June wheeled one out of a cupboard and Christine stared at the reflection.

"Oh my god…"

"You've never looked better, honey." June said cheerfully. "Come on, everyone's waiting to see you. Hey, let's stand you next to the mannequin and have a spot the difference session!"

"I'm guessing I'm the one in the dress." Christine commented, heading for the door.

* * *

June appeared in the doorway and clapped her hands. The cast and dancers fell silent and they all turned towards the door.

"We've got wedding dress Christine!" There were some cheers, especially from Max. Erik got to his feet from the piano, heart pounding. Time seemed to slow down as the door opened and then… Christine walked in.

The white dress looked _perfect_ on her. And since he had designed it with her in mind, this was good, Erik decided. What he hadn't counted on was exactly how beautiful she'd look. Her dark curls seemed even darker next to the pure white of the dress. The veil fell gracefully from the crown of her head and she was smiling as though it really were her wedding day. Erik realised he was gawping but couldn't move. Until Nadir cleared his throat and Erik hastily closed his gaping mouth, noticing with a little bitterness that Max had gone to talk to Christine.

"Wow, Christine. You look… wow." He said breathlessly. Christine smiled, blushing.

"Thanks Max. Hey… are we OK about yesterday?"

"I was going to make you feel guilty a bit longer but I don't think I can even move whilst you're wearing that dress." He laughed. Christine smiled even wider and noticed Erik and Nadir coming over. Nadir smiled.

"You look an absolute picture, Christine. Which _is_ a compliment. I've been slapped for that one before." He said. Christine laughed and looked at Erik. He didn't seem to be blinking. Christine hesitated and then waved her hand in front of his face.

"Mr Destler? Anyone home?"

He snapped to attention and nodded. Nadir grinned and turned to talk with Max, leading him away so they were left alone.

"I can't believe you designed this. You are a man of many hidden talents." Christine smiled. Erik lifted an eyebrow.

"I've picked a few things up. But I think that most of the credit should go to June. She made it." He commented, adjusting the veil slightly. His fingers brushed against her cheek and she felt heat rising in her cheeks again.

"Now, if only you learnt how to ski you'd be perfect." She teased, commenting on what he'd said the day he had fixed up Trister. He smiled slightly.

"Maybe I should learn."

"Well, I can't judge, I can't ski either." She admitted with a smile. Erik smirked and said quietly,

"You are beautiful. Far more beautiful than that mannequin."

Her cheeks coloured a delightful pink and she seemed unable to speak, although she smiled helplessly.

"It's just the dress…" She stammered. But Erik lifted her face with a finger and said a solemnly quiet voice,

"No. The dress is just decoration. You are beautiful." And then he moved his hand from her face and turned to the cast and dancers, saying,

"_Masquerade_ with no mistakes. Go."

Christine stared, open-mouthed after him. He had said she was beautiful. Not that she just _looked_ beautiful. That she simply _was_ beautiful.

_Love. Definitely love_.

**Oh, bugger off. I hate it when you're right.**

"Christine, let's get you out of that so you can get ready for _Masquerade_." June said, pulling her back to the costume room. Christine went but glanced back over her shoulder. Erik was looking at the stage but looked over and met her eyes. Christine felt herself blushing again as she went out.

* * *

When she returned to the hall, she found Tom waiting for her in their starting position. He smiled at her.

"Ready?"

"Yup. Oh, by the way, I was showing my friend the pictures in the newspaper and she wants to know if you're single."

"I am." Tom said.

"Yeah, I told her that." Christine smiled. Tom laughed.

"Is she cute?"

Christine dug in her pocket for her purse and opened it to the little section where you kept pictures. There was one of herself and Meg, laughing. She tapped the picture of the blonde girl and Tom whistled.

"Cute it is. What's her name?"

"Meg."

"Let me get this straight… you're Christine, you're best friend is called Meg and you're in _Phantom of the Opera_. If you've ever gone out with a guy called Raoul and I'm running."

"No, no Raouls. There was a Richard once but no Raoul." Christine assured him. He looked relieved.

"Good. That's a little creepy."

"Pure coincidence." Christine said, taking his arm as their cue came and they began their walk to the stage.

* * *

After rehearsals, Max turned to Christine.

"Want to come for coffee? My treat, to apologise for being such an arse yesterday."

"The apology, I accept. The coffee, I can't."

"Sure?" He asked. Christine nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry. I'll see you Monday."

"OK, bye." Max said, heading for the door.

Christine took a damp wipe out of her bag and a small mirror and started to take off the elaborate make-up June had put on her. She hadn't had time to do it before now, but she wouldn't want to wear it outside the theatre. She wiped the lipstick off, cleaned herself up and tossed the used wipe into a nearby bin.

Erik rounded the corner just then and smiled slightly.

"Too much make-up?"

"Just a tad. June goes so over the top."

"You need to in theatre. I've seen her designs for the Phantom's true face."

"Really? What's it going to look like?" Christine asked eagerly. Erik shook his head.

"No, I want to see the look on your face when you see it for the first time." Christine felt slightly disappointed but shrugged, slipping the mirror into her bag.

"Nadir and Dr Carter are going through some sound checks, so we might have to stay for a while. I hope that's not a problem."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I'm not in a rush." Christine said.

They were interrupted as Tom came out of the theatre. He grinned at them both.

"I'll see you on Monday."

"Oh, Tom, wait." Christine said, digging in her bag. She pulled out a piece of paper. "Just in case you're interested, that's Meg's mobile phone number. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you."

"I'll think about it." Tom laughed as he left.

"Playing matchmaker?" Erik asked as they went back to the stage. Christine smiled and put her back down.

"I think they'd get on very well." She said casually. "Meg is notorious for never being with a guy for more than three weeks and Tom's very much the same. Maybe they can tie each other down for a while. It'll certainly keep Meg, much as I love her, out of my hair."

"I expect so." Erik said vaguely.

His mind was racing and Christine glanced over at him.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit…"

"What?"

"I don't know. Distant?" she looked at him and he hesitated before saying,

"Could I ask something of you? A favour, if you will."

"Of course." She replied, putting things into her bag.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"Let's see… Friday... No, I'm not even going to pretend that I have anything resembling a social life. I'm free." She joked. Erik smiled slightly and then cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look a little pale." Christine said, closing her bag and looking up at him.

Erik nodded quickly and said as calmly as he could,

"The reason I asked if you're free is because… do you know the Opera House, on the other side of the town?"

"I think so. Yes, I've seen it a few times. I've never been able to go in though. I remember Mum and Dad promising me for my twentieth birthday they'd take me to see an opera there." She said.

"There's a concert opening tonight to celebrate its reopening. It's been closed for refurbishment and I've been asked to attend."

Christine nodded.

"Yes, I read about that in the paper. It's a really big event. Some really famous people are going."

"Yes… well, several of my pieces are being performed and I was wondering if… if you'd care to go. As my guest." Erik said, trying to control his breathing.

Christine stared at him.

"Me? Really?"

"Yes, you." He smirked. Christine stared at him for a few moments and then her face broke into a smile.

"That would be amazing! Are you sure?"

"Of course. I've been given two tickets. I have a private box anyway." Erik said swiftly, trying not to look as if he were particularly bothered about her reply. Christine clasped her hands together.

"Oh my god, _thank_ _you_!"

"I should warn you, it's evening wear, very high class. Even if I am a guest of honour, they make me wear a suit. Will you be able to find a dress in time?"

"I've probably got something at home. What time?" She asked eagerly.

"I'll pick you up at 7:30. Also, there may be a few photographers. It's quite a big event for the Opera House." He explained. Christine shrugged.

"Hey, if I get to go, it doesn't matter! What sort of music is it?"

"Classical, Opera. That sort of thing, with a few more modern pieces."

"Oh, this is a dream come true!" Christine squealed.

Erik smiled.

"I've never met anyone of your age who has such a love from classical music."

"Be honest, how many people do you know who are my age?" Christine asked. Erik smiled.

"Not many." He admitted. Christine smiled and said,

"Thank you so much, Erik. This is so generous of you."

Generous. Not a word usually equated with Erik Destler, he thought wryly. And this wasn't generosity. This was him wanting to be with her for more time than he had any right to. This was a ridiculous obsession getting out of control. He knew he shouldn't have asked her, but he couldn't resist. He wanted to be with her and this was a chance for him to show her his world, his music. If the Phantom could show Christine Daae the Music of the Night, surely he could show Christine Danes his own works?

Nadir emerged from office and said,

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." Christine said, grabbing her bag. As they went out to the car, Christine started to wonder exactly why Erik had asked her. A thousand reasons flashed through her brain, most very hopeful. She knew that there were also a thousand reasons why she should have said no.

But she wasn't about to turn down an opportunity like this!

* * *

When they had dropped Christine off at her house, Nadir glanced at Erik.

"Did you ask her?"

"Yes. Not that it's any of your business." Erik said primly. Nadir smiled.

"And did she say yes?"

"Yes. And it's _still_ none of your business."

Nadir lifted his eyebrows, burying his head in the newspaper.

* * *

"Meg, I've got an emergency." Christine said breathlessly down the phone, as she quickly ate dinner.

"An ice-cream emergency?"

"No. Erik Destler just asked me to go to a concert at the Opera House with him tonight and I don't know what to wear!"

"You've got a date!"

"No, it's not a date. He just knows that I like classical music and asked if I wanted to go along." Christine reasoned. Meg snorted.

"Sounds like a date to me. What sort of outfit?"

"Evening wear. It's a really big deal."

"Honey, I've got the _perfect_ dress. I'll be right over!"

* * *

After ten anxious minutes, there was a knock at the door. Meg bustled in, carrying a bag.

"OK, this is your big chance to completely blow him away!"

"Meg, I'm going for the music. It's at the Opera House, and they're going to have an incredible line up of-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You deal with the music part; I'll get you ready for him." Meg said dismissively. She grabbed Christine's hand and dragged her upstairs.

Once in her bedroom, Meg whipped the dress out.

"What do you think of this?" she said. Christine's couldn't reply. The dress was a black sheath of satin with thin straps. It had a diagonally slanting hem, with one side ending at knee length, the other side carrying on to the floor. There was also a wrap, thin black material with tiny diamante studs on it, so it glittered elegantly.

"You've got those nice black shoes that go with it perfectly. Go and have a shower."

"OK. Oh, I gave Tom your number by the way."

"Tom?" Meg said absently, unpacking make up. Christine called from the bathroom,

"The guy from the paper. You thought he was cute."

"Oh, that guy! Do you think he'll call?"

"He said he'd think about it. I'll introduce you sometime." Christine said, turning the shower on.

Fifteen minutes later she emerged, hair freshly washed and cheeks pink. She wrapped her hair up in a towel and Meg helped her put the dress on. Then she sat Christine down and began to dry her hair.

"OK, straightening it never works and you look better with curly hair anyway." She said, massaging mousse into it. Christine watched as Meg applied various conditioners and sprays to her hair.

"What are you doing?" She asked, half-curious, half-concerned about the effect all those sprays were probably having on the ozone layer.

"Making you look gorgeous. Don't worry, I know exactly what I'm doing."

Christine began to worry a little more. But Meg was now plugging in a hair dryer and turned it on her curls, brushing and primping and twisting.

"Hair down or hair up?" she asked. Christine considered.

"I don't know…"

"Down, I think. You always look good with your hair down. God, I'd kill to have your skin!" She moaned, admiring the flawless skin. Christine smiled.

"Maybe, but you have fantastic hair."

"That, I can't deny. OK, now for make up." She sat down opposite Christine and as she applied the make up, she asked,

"So, how did he ask you?"

"Well, we were talking after the rehearsal and he asked if I was busy tonight, because he'd been invited to this special opening and wanted to know if I wanted to come. So I said yes."

"Is that it?" She seemed disappointed and scowled as Christine smiled. "Don't, you'll make me smudge it!"

She brushed on some mascara and reached for a very dark red lipstick.

"OK, so if this isn't a date, what is it?"

"It's him wanting to share his music with someone who he knows would appreciate it." Christine insisted. Meg glared at her and she hastily stopped so she could put on the lipstick. Once it was applied Meg started to apply some clear nail polish. Clear nail polish had always seemed like a mystery to Christine. What was the point? It wasn't like you could see it. But she didn't dare to mention this to Meg.

"A whole music class to choose from and he asks you?" Meg said cynically.

"Well, he knows me quite well, because we've been working on the show together."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Well, what about the fact that he's been giving you lifts?"

"I like to get to the theatre early and he offered because he needs me there to practise anyway." Christine said. Meg looked up from her nails with an exactly-how-stupid-are-you look on her face.

"Christine, my darling friend, you've got to learn to start reading the signs."

"Meg, my darling friend, you've got to stop reading too much into the signs." Christine replied in a patronising tone.

Meg gave her a look before taking her other hand.

"So, is this a really big deal or something? I take it everyone is dressing up."

"Yeah, he said there might be photographers or something. I'm guessing it's big." Christine said vaguely. Meg gaped.

"Photographers? That's high class for a first date!"

"It's _not _a-"

"Yeah, whatever. OK, I've got to get hold of some of those photos!" Meg decided, blowing on the wet nail polish.

"Meg, can I ask you a huge favour?"

"Sure."

"Trister hasn't been for his walk yet. You've got a spare key, right?"

"I'll take him, don't worry. What time is Mr Hotness picking you?"

"_Erik_ is picking me up at 7:30." Christine said.

* * *

Erik sat in the back of the limousine, tapping his fingernails anxiously against the seat. This was a mistake. He knew that it was. This could not go well. This way lay insanity.

But it was too late to turn back now. It was already 7:30 and they were pulling onto Christine's street. They came to a stop outside number 42 and Erik got out. He walked slowly up the front path to the door and knocked, feeling like an awkward teenager.

The door opened and he was greeted by a vivacious blonde girl, the same age as Christine. She smiled brightly.

"Erik Destler? She's just coming."

"Thank you. I assume you're Meg Grayson?"

"The one and only." Meg smiled, stepping back to let him in, taking the chance to check him out for the first time.

The scowling white mask that usually adorned his face had been replaced with a more formal looking black one, with a gold outline around the eye. He wore a smart suit, with a blood red shirt. Meg had to admit that she was highly impressed.

But Erik's attention was not on the cheerful blonde but the young woman who had just walked down the stairs. Once again his heart began to beat painfully in his chest, threatening to burst out at any moment.

Christine was dressed in a simple black dress, with a loose wrap going around her back and over her arms. Her curls fell simply down her back and seemed to shine more than usual and her skin seemed luminously pale, like a new moon against a pitch black sky. She wore simple make-up, a brush of dark eye shadow, mascara and her lips were stained deep wine red.

Erik had seen many different Christine's. Christine in that provocative _Music of the Night_ outfit. Her pretty pink _Masquerade_ dress. The beautiful, innocent Christine he had seen in the wedding dress only that morning. But this Christine was different… she seemed older, stunning, more exquisite than ever. Erik felt passion rise in his chest and knew that the only cure for this insanity would be to kiss her intensely.

But he didn't, of course. She smiled slightly.

"Do I look OK?"

"You look stunning." He managed to say. He held out a single red rose. "Christine always receives a red rose." He said, arching his eyebrow. Christine laughed slightly and took the rose.

"Thank you, Erik."

"Here." Meg said, taking the rose. She tucked it into Christine's hair, above the right ear and smiled. Christine turned to her.

"You've got the keys?"

"I've got everything. I'll take Trister, feed him and then I'll take him home with me so you can relax. Go, have fun!" She gave her a little push towards Erik.

Erik smirked and offered his arm. Christine took it and said goodbye to Meg who winked. They went outside. The sun was still quite high, as it was summer, but would be setting when they arrived at their destination. Christine's jaw dropped.

"A limousine? Are you serious?"

"Of course. Not as many toys as the other car, I'm afraid, but it'll get us where we're going." Erik said with a smile. Christine laughed as he held open the door for her.

"Come. Our public awaits." He said with a wry smile before climbing in.

**A/N: I sense people are getting impatient for E/C moments. So this may lead to some. Or it may not. I'm not telling. Hee hee.**

**And, for anyone who thinks that I don't read my reviews, I promise that I read every single one! I get them emailed to my account and I then read each and every one. It's one of the highlights of my day! Yes, I am just that pathetic.**

**Anyway, leave a review. Because I love them!**

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	12. Chapter 12: A Night at the Opera

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Twelve**

In the car on the way to the Opera House, Christine asked Erik questions about the concert. Who would be performing, did he know which pieces, who else was going to be there?

Erik answered to the best of his ability, smiling at her enthusiasm and excitement. Eventually Christine realised that she hadn't stopped talking since they got into the car and blushed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I'm just so excited! I've always wanted to go. I did some opera pieces in Dr Carter's class and I've listened to it of course. But I've never got to see any performed live."

"It's a wonderful experience. I'm certain that you'll enjoy it." Erik smiled. Christine smiled back and then stared as the car drew up to the Opera House.

The 'few' photographers that Erik had mentioned, were in fact about forty photographers. She was suddenly very glad that the windows to the car were blacked out.

"Wow. Red carpet and everything…" She said weakly. Erik smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. It can be quite intimidating but they're just like insects. You can brush them away easily enough. Don't say anything if you don't want to."

"OK. Just don't leave me by myself or I might just get hysterical." She warned. He smiled at her and said,

"I won't leave your side for a moment. I promise."

The car stopped at the top of the red carpet. He looked at her.

"Ready?"

"No. But let's go anyway." She said honestly. Erik opened the door and climbed out first. The cameras flashed brightly and Erik found himself temporarily blinded. He paused for a moment and then turned, holding out his hand for Christine. She took it without hesitation and he helped her out of the car, closing the door behind her.

And then, still holding her hand firmly in his, they began their walk. The cameras went off in every direction and Christine glanced up at Erik. He gave her a small, reassuring smile and stopped so the press could take their photos. Christine smiled as he did, rather enjoying the experience but eager to get inside. He didn't let go of her hand once. One of the reporters shouted,

"Who's this, Mr Destler?"

"This is Christine Danes."

"How did you two meet?" Another person shouted. Christine let Erik answer.

"Christine has the leading part in the university play that I am sponsoring."

"_The Phantom of the Opera_?"

"That's right."

He looked at down at Christine and gave his characteristic smirk.

"Shall we go inside?"

"Yes, please." she said, a little relieved. He guided her along the carpet and she smiled as they approached the grand doors. Once inside, the noise faded slightly. Erik shook his head.

"Irritating, but it can't really be helped. The press have their need to feel important."

"No, it was quite fun. I felt like a celebrity!" Christine laughed. Erik smiled.

"Come, I'll introduce you to the owner of the Opera House."

Still clasping her hand, he led her through the crowd that had gathered in the lobby of the magnificent building. Several people greeted Erik but he simply nodded politely before moving on until he tapped the shoulder of a powerful looking man in his late fifties. His hair was dark, with grey hairs starting to poke through and he had a strong jaw which moved into a smile as he saw Erik.

"Erik! How wonderful that you came!"

"Andrew, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"How have you been? And who is this delightful young lady?" His eyes settled on Christine and smiled.

"This is Christine Danes. She's got the main part in the show I'm working on at the university. Christine, this is Andrew Norton."

"Ah yes, your little project. I must say, I'm looking forward to it Erik. So you took the part of Christine?" he asked her. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

"I'll bet Erik drives you all insane. Quite a slave driver."

"We prefer to call it intense enthusiasm." Christine replied with a smile. Andrew laughed loudly and clapped Erik on this shoulder.

"I've got to meet and greet. I'll see you at the party afterwards?"

He didn't wait for a reply before moving off to say hello someone else. Erik sighed.

"He's a very eager man. Takes great pride in knowing everyone who is anyone."

"You know him well?"

"I did some work here a few years ago." He said, pulling her through the crowds to the doors leading into corridors. They walked along one, going up flights of stairs. Erik clearly knew where he was going and opened a door. Christine went through and her jaw dropped.

They were in a private box, giving them a perfect view of the stage below. Christine sank into one of the two chairs in the box and stared around the magnificent theatre. It made the university one look pathetic with it splendour.

"What do you think?" Erik asked, sitting beside her. She looked at him and said calmly,

"You're my hero."

He smiled and picked up the programme. Christine took hers and glanced through it, smiling whenever she saw Erik's name. There were thirty pieces be performed, fifteen in each half and at least twelve of them were Erik's, as well as some more traditional pieces such as Beethoven, Bach and several opera pieces.

"This looks amazing." She commented. Erik smiled briefly and said,

"It's quite impressive."

"And you get your own box? If it's Box 5, I'm going to have to laugh hysterically." She warned him. He smirked.

"Prepare to laugh."

"You're joking? It's really Box 5?" she said with a look of disbelief.

"I requested it especially on my arrival at the Opera House." He explained. Christine smiled widely, gazing around the theatre again. It was truly beautiful. She glanced down at the seats below which were filling fast as the show was starting soon.

Erik watched her examine the theatre, wondering what she was thinking, if she was feeling the same way he had when he had first entered a theatre like this. The childlike excitement, complete awe mixed with a certain amount of wonder.

Christine smiled at him again.

"I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you for this."

"Sing perfectly in the performances. That would be more than enough." He told her. She smiled and then said,

"Seriously, Erik, this is wonderful. Thank you so much."

He met her eyes with his intense green ones and said quietly,

"You're welcome. It's a pleasure to share something like this with you." And then the lights dimmed, the curtains opened and they applauded as the first of the performers appeared.

* * *

Christine had never known a night like it. Music mingled with laughter, applause tangled with tears of joy at the beauty of the songs, introductions with people mixed with delicious wine. By the time the second half ended, Christine felt as if she were walking on air as the applause died and the lights came up. Erik looked at her.

"Your verdict?"

"This has been the most wonderful evening I have ever had. The music was just… words fail me! Especially your pieces, I've never heard anything so _beautiful_."

"I'm glad you think so. The orchestra performed well." Erik said, rising. Christine picked up her programme and they made their way into the lobby, where people were talking happily as they headed for another room, where there was to be a party.

Erik did not seem particularly keen to go to the party and Christine could understand why. That many people, all talking loudly would make anyone uncomfortable.

"We should probably go in for a short while. We wouldn't want to insult our host." He said, lifting his eyes slightly towards the heavens. Christine smiled and placed her hand in the crook of his arm.

"Once more into the breach, dear friend." She said in a voice of mock-bravery.

They entered the huge room and Andrew Norton greeted them cheerfully.

"What did you think, Erik? Did it do your work justice?" he asked. Erik nodded.

"An excellent evening, Andrew. We enjoyed it thoroughly."

"Wonderful! Well, go on in, there are plenty of people who are eager to see you."

Erik gave a rather fixed smile and Christine almost laughed at his expression. Sure enough, as soon as they entered, several people descended on them at once, all talking and congratulating Erik. He smiled politely, answered a few questions and introduced Christine to them. One blustering woman in her fifties smirked at Christine.

"And how long have you been with our Mr Destler?"

"Oh! We're not… I mean…" Christine stammered, flushing. Luckily Erik stepped in.

"Christine is my leading lady, Mrs Colman."

"Well, that could mean anything in this day and age!" the woman said, waving her hand dismissively. Christine smiled sweetly.

"I can assure you, Mr Destler and I have a very professional relationship."

"Oh… is that so? Well…" She seemed to lose interest after that and disappeared. Erik looked down at Christine.

"Congratulations. You just managed to get rid of the most imposing woman in the room. A simple thank you does not justify how much that means to me."

"You're welcome." Christine smiled.

Erik passed her a glass of wine and checked his watch.

"I expect that we'll be able to escape fairly soon."

"Not having fun?" She teased and he lifted his visible eyebrow. She laughed and sipped the wine as he said,

"There is only so much I can stand and I think I passed my limit fifteen minutes ago."

"Entirely understandable." Christine agreed.

They circled the room, greeting people before casually working their way back to the door. Once in the empty entrance hall Erik hurried her outside into the cool night air, a delightful change from the stifling heat of the Opera House. Erik looked around for the car but it was nowhere to be found. He muttered under his breath and pulled out a phone. He spoke sharply into the phone, closed it and said,

"The car will be around in a moment. Although, it's rather pleasant out here." She nodded and he noticed for the first time that his hand was wrapped around hers. He wondered if he should let go but found that he didn't particularly want to. Instead he said hesitantly,

"Would you like to come for a drink?"

For a moment he thought she'd refuse. But then her lips curved into a sweet smile.

"That'd be nice." Erik was about to say something but found he couldn't. He didn't know if it was the quiet night air, or the wine, or simply the fact that her hand was still in his, or maybe it was the smile on her face and in her eyes. But before he could think rationally he had bent his head to hers. She didn't hesitate but moved forward. Their lips met softly, hesitant, unsure at first. But then they moved together, because it simply made sense, as though the whole evening had been leading to this very moment. Christine lifted her hands to run them Erik's soft, dark hair and his hands were on her waist, pulling her towards him as an electricity pulsed through them, the desire and longing that had been between them for so long coming to a climax.

And then they jumped apart as a camera flash went off. They both started as a photographer took another picture of them and then began to run away, as though in fear that Erik would attack him. Christine stared after the photographer and then up at Erik who was watching her fearfully.

"Christine, I-" She put a finger to his lips and he fell silent. Without another word she reached up again and kissed him purposefully once more. Erik seemed astonished, but didn't hesitate to return the kiss.

They moved apart as the car pulled up. Erik didn't say anything and neither did she as they entered the car. Erik told Thompson to take them back to his house. Christine couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened, silently yelling at herself. _What the hell were you thinking?_

"I'm sorry." Erik said quietly. She looked at him sharply.

"You are?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Was it his imagination or did she sound disappointed? He found out a moment later because she said quietly,

"I'm not."

He stared at her and she lifted her eyes to meet his. But before he could say anything else they had arrived at his house and were going up the driveway. They went into the Entrance Hall and she gave her bag and wrap to a servant, who also took Erik's jacket.

He led her into the living room she had seen the day she had driven him home. Here, he poured two glasses of wine and handed one to her. She accepted it and wandered over to the window, looking out over the gardens. Erik didn't speak as he drank some of the wine, watching her. She was chewing gently on her lip and then she turned to him.

"Erik, I…" Her voice faded away and she didn't seem to know what to say. Erik put down his wine glass and moved over to her. He took the glass from her hand, set it on the mantelpiece and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her gently.

After a moment he drew back and said,

"I had to do it one more time. In case what you're about to say is that this can never happen and you don't think we should see each other outside of the theatre anymore and when the show is over you don't want to see me again. I had to do it just once more."

She stared at him in amazement and then said,

"I wasn't going to say that."

"You weren't?"

"No. What I was going to say is that I really like you. A lot. And I'm willing to try if you are, but if you think it's not a good idea-"

He kissed her again and when he pulled back she said with a faint smile,

"I take it you think that it's a good idea."

"No. I don't. But I find that I don't particularly care." He admitted. Christine smiled and looked down. Erik watched her carefully and then said quietly,

"It won't be easy."

"Nothing ever is anymore." She replied.

"Are you still willing to try?"

Her reply was to look up with a smile and kiss him again. Her hands slid up into his thick, dark hair, pressing herself against him. He was a little surprised at her forwardness, but wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closely to him as they kissed. She tasted of wine and something else, something sweet, something undeniably _Christine_.

He had imagined what it would be like to kiss her so many times he wondered if this was just his mind playing tricks. But surely his mind couldn't imagine the taste of her mouth, the heat of her body, the curly hair he was wrapping his hands in, the feel of her fingers brushing against his mask.

It was though he had been given an electric shock as he pulled back sharply. Christine jumped and looked at him fearfully.

"Erik, what's wrong?"

"You… the mask…" He muttered. Christine frowned faintly before moving forward and touching the cold black surface of his mask. Erik jerked away but she caught his arm.

"Erik, stop."

"I don't want you to see." He said.

"Why not? You don't need to hide anything from me." She told him. Erik remained vehement.

"You can't… you won't like what you see."

"Shouldn't I be the judge of that?"

He stared at her and then said,

"Christine, this isn't some game. It isn't a stage show. What is under this mask isn't make-up that I can take off at night. I don't want you to see it."

"Erik, I decided a long time ago that I didn't care what was under the mask. The day we first did _The Music of the Night_ and you played the part of the Phantom, I knew that there must be something under that mask that you wanted to hide. But I didn't care." Christine said fiercely.

Erik looked at her fearfully, convinced she was just saying things so she could get what she wanted. Fury filled him and he sneered at her.

"And if you see under the mask? If you get scared and run away? You'll go running off to your little friend Meg or to Max Hodges and tell them everything-"

"Is that what you think of me? My god, Erik, how can you say that?" Christine said, clearly hurt.

Erik didn't know what to say. Christine turned him so he was facing her and said quietly,

"I don't care what is under that mask." She said in quiet, firm voice.

"Why? Why don't you care?" Erik asked.

"Because I already care so much about you it just doesn't matter." She said firmly. Before Erik could reply, her slender fingers had curled under the mask and lifted it from his face. Erik froze, waiting for the horror she would surely feel to be unleashed, just as horror that Christine Daae had felt for the Phantom's face was shown.

She didn't scream. She didn't gasp or run away. Her eyes flickered over the right side of his face and he watched her in fear. How could she just stand there and look at him? How could she let her eyes stray over the twisted red flesh, the stretched and scarred skin, the deformed tissue of the eye socket, the bumped and rough skin of the forehead and cheek?

He saw no fear in her eyes. He saw no hatred. And most surprising and pleasing of all, he saw no pity. He flinched as her fingers brushed over the skin. She drew her fingers back quickly.

"Does it hurt?"

"No… no…" He whispered. Christine placed her hand on it again, running the pads of her fingers over the distorted flesh. Erik closed his eyes, convinced that at any moment she would run, leaving him all alone. And then he felt something warm on his cheek. Christine was pressing her lips to the tender flesh, over and over again, slipping her hands over his shoulders and around his neck, pulling herself closer to him.

"Christine…" He said hoarsely. Christine pulled back and looked at him with large dark eyes.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" She whispered, drawing back but he caught her hand. She looked from their joined hands to his face. He was watching her in amazement.

"Why…? How… I don't understand. How can you touch it? How can you bear to be near something so hideous?"

Christine smiled, although she looked like she might cry at any moment.

"Haven't you learned anything from _The Phantom of the Opera_? It doesn't matter what is under the mask."

"But Christine left the Phantom." Erik reminded her.

"Not always. She won't now." Christine said firmly, taking his face in her hands again and looking at him with soft eyes. Erik took a deep breath.

"You mean it?"

"Yes. As long as you don't start strangling people or dropping chandeliers around the theatre, I mean it. I don't want to be alone anymore, and I don't think you do either." She said softly.

Erik gazed at her for a moment and then pulled her to him, kissing her so passionately it surprised Christine at first, but she soon succumbed to his passion and touch. And then he lowered his face into her shoulder, holding her so tightly it almost hurt, but she was clinging to him just as tightly.

"Oh God…" He whispered, fearing that at any moment she would dissolve away and he would wake up.

"Are you alright?" Christine asked.

"I've been wanting to hold you like this for so long… I can't believe that I actually can now."

"Everyday. Whenever you want." She promised. "I'll never leave you. You're not a phantom."

* * *

"What are we going to tell them?" Christine asked. It was several hours later and she was sat beside Erik on the sofa, her head leaning on his shoulder, his arms around her waist.

"At the university? I don't know."

"I don't think we should tell them." He looked down at her and she met his eyes with a smile. "I only say because I don't want this to interfere with the show."

"Very well. We'll act as we always did." Erik said comfortably. Christine smiled and pulled a face.

"It'll be awkward with Max, having to make up excuses everyday about why I can't go for coffee."

"You've managed well so far."

"I only said no all this time because it wasn't fair to lead him on when I secretly had feelings for someone else." She said pointedly, poking him in the ribs.

Erik smiled and tightened his hold around her. She said,

"What about Nadir?"

"I expect he already knows."

"How?"

"That man knows everything that happens. That's what makes him so insufferable and so helpful." Erik said calmly. Christine smiled and then looked at the clock.

"Is that really the time?" She said in amazement, sitting up. Erik looked at her.

"Would you like to go home?" He asked. Christine looked at him. Erik watched her decide and then said,

"I'm sorry. If it's too soon to be thinking about-"

She shook her head and smiled.

"No. No, I have all the time in the world." She told him. He smiled and said,

"I have never met anyone quite like you, Christine."

"I'm one of a kind." She agreed. "As are you."

Erik smiled and ran a hand down her arm. The skin tingled and Christine shivered delightedly.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" He said, not convinced. Christine didn't reply. She simply kissed him again. Erik smirked. "I take it that's a yes."

"Yes. I've never been more sure of anything." She said firmly. Erik smirked.

"I believe the servants will all be asleep by now."

A mischievous smile crossed her face and he turned to pick up his mask. He put it on and saw the disappointed look on her face.

"Only whilst we are in the open." He explained and she nodded, although she still seemed unhappy. He opened the door into the entrance hall and, after making sure that they were truly alone, turned to her. She smiled and then gasped as he swept her off her feet, carrying her towards the staircase. She couldn't help letting out a small giggle and he smirked, raising an eyebrow.

And then he paused as Nadir appeared at the top of the stairs, in a dressing gown, clearly on his way to the kitchen as he held a glass in one hand. He stared from Erik to Christine and back again. And then his face broke into a smile. Christine and Erik were both frozen to the spot, Christine still held in Erik's arms, as Nadir walked down the stairs, his footsteps echoing around the enormous room.

"Good evening Erik, Christine." He said politely, although the smile remained on his face as he carried on down the stairs and disappeared through a doorway. Christine looked at Erik.

"Why do I feel like a teenager who just got caught?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. But I'm sure we'll manage to get rid of the feeling." Erik smirked, carrying on up the stairs, Christine still in his arms.

* * *

Sunlight flooded the room. Christine felt wonderfully warm and sleepy and reluctantly opened her eyes. She blinked and then realised what was wrong. This wasn't her room.

She yawned and looked around the magnificent bedroom, with its canopy bed. It was decorated in dark mahogany panelling and dark green furniture. And then she looked down beside her at the man who lay sleeping and smiled.

Erik was sleeping peacefully, his face completely relaxed. It was the first time she'd ever seen him like that, she realised. He seemed so… human. So ordinary. Was it always like that when you woke up next to someone? Christine didn't know. This was the first time she'd woken up beside someone like this.

She stretched and winced as her muscles ached and twinged. She hadn't expected the pain, all those romantic novels she'd read as a teenager never mentioned it. But she could manage, even if it did hurt.

With a start, she realised that it was nearly half past eleven. She hadn't meant to sleep for that long. She looked around the room and saw an adjoining bathroom. She climbed out of bed and pulled on the silk dressing gown that was hung on the back of the door. It was much too big but it served its purpose. She went to the bathroom and grimaced at her reflection. Smudged make-up, big hair, puffy eyes from lack of sleep. She wiped away the make-up and used the toilet, trying to fix her hair into something resembling normality once she'd washed her hands. She fingered her neck. There were numerous marks on the skin and she raised an eyebrow, allowing herself a wicked grin, as she recalled how Erik had made them.

When vaguely satisfied that she looked presentable she returned to the bedroom and began to hunt around on the floor, where they had flung their clothes the previous night. She'd need to wash that dress before getting it back to Meg, it was wrinkled.

"What are you doing?" She glanced up quickly and saw Erik watching curiously from the bed, propped up on one elbow. She smiled faintly.

"Underwear. I definitely had it when I got here." She said, slightly embarrassed. He smiled and sat up. Christine crossed to the bed and kissed him.

"Good morning." She said.

"It is." He commented and smirked, his eyebrows lifting as the robe fell open slightly. Christine blushed and straightened it again.

"I borrowed it." She explained weakly.

"I noticed." He reached onto the bedside table and picked up a phone. He pressed one of the buttons and said, "Nadir. Yes. Give the servants the day off. Paid, of course. Tell them I expect them back tomorrow. Yes, now. No, we'll manage. And do be quick about it, man."

He hung up and turned to Christine with a smile.

"Any plans for today?"

"At some point I'll have to go and pick up Trister from Meg. But other than that… I'm all yours."

"You certainly are." He growled, reaching for her. She laughed as he slipped the robe off of her shoulders and pulled her down onto the bed.

* * *

By the time they got downstairs for breakfast, the servants had disappeared. And since it was more like lunchtime, they went straight to the kitchen. Christine, clad in a pair of jeans Erik had 'borrowed' from one of the female servants and one of his own shirts, smiled brightly as he opened the enormous refrigerator. He inspected its contents and then turned to her, looking a little embarrassed.

"I'm not going to pretend that I know how to cook." He admitted. Christine laughed.

"Well, I can. What do you want?"

Erik, for his lack of culinary skills, managed to make the toast whilst she cooked bacon and eggs. They were just sitting down when the door to the kitchen opened Nadir looked in.

"Sorry to interrupt. Just to let you know, Erik, I've cancelled all of your meetings for today."

"Thank you, Nadir." Erik said jovially. Nadir seemed rather surprised but smiled.

"You're welcome."

"Want some lunch, Nadir? We got a bit enthusiastic." Christine said, glancing around at the copious amounts of food. Nadir hesitated.

"I couldn't…"

"No, come on." Erik said. Nadir grinned and then entered, taking a seat. He glanced from one of them to the other and smiled. Erik and Christine exchanged a glance and then began to eat.

Halfway through the meal, Nadir said,

"May I ask what you plan to do in rehearsals, regarding to your relationship?" _Well, he certainly wasn't beating around the bush_, Christine thought. Erik said,

"We'd rather that no one knew for the time being and plan to act as we always have. Neither of us wants the show to suffer."

"_Definitely_ not. Not after all the work everyone's putting in." Christine said firmly. Nadir smiled.

"Good. This is very good food, Christine."

"Thanks Nadir. But I can't take all the credit, Erik made the toast." Christine said solemnly. Nadir snorted and Erik glowered at him.

* * *

After their meal, Erik took Christine by the hand and began to lead her through the enormous house. Christine felt incredibly awed at the sheer size of it. This wasn't even a house, this was a mansion. He led her past too many rooms to count and then stopped outside a door. She asked,

"How many rooms _are_ there in this place?"

"Over a hundred, I can't remember the exact number. But this is my personal favourite." He opened the door with a key and stepped back to let her through.

Christine stepped into the room and gazed around in admiration. It was painted white with a golden border, with enormous bay windows looking out over the back of the house, providing a gorgeous view of the grounds. She laughed and ran over to the windows.

"You have a _lake_?" She said in amazement. Erik smiled at her excitement. She turned and gazed at the main piece in the room. The magnificent piano set in the centre of the room, gleaming to perfection. There were cabinets around the walls containing other instruments and a gorgeous display of violins, piles of music in drawers, just waiting to be played. It was a musician's heaven and Erik simply watched as she explored his artistic domain. She admired each instrument, stopped to gaze at the paintings hung on the walls. She couldn't know that he had painted them himself and he felt no need to tell her at that particular moment.

Christine crossed the piano and ran a hand over the shining surface.

"Erik, it's _gorgeous_. This room, it's…" She stared around in astonishment. Erik smiled briefly and said,

"You're the first person I've let in here."

"What?" She looked at him in surprise.

"The servants are forbidden to enter and I refuse Nadir access to this and one other room. You're the first to see it."

She looked around the room in reverence and then looked at him. A beautiful smile crossed her face and she said,

"Thank you for sharing this with me." He smiled back and crossed to the piano.

"Warm up?"

She nodded and began to sing, fixing her eyes on his the whole time.

* * *

He drove her home personally that afternoon. They had decided that they would spend Sunday apart, just to think things through. This was hardly a decision to be taken lightly, after all.

"I will see you on Monday. I'm going to be late, I have a meeting. But I'll be there by about nine thirty." He said softly, between kisses. She smiled and nodded.

"I'll see you then."

"I love you, Christine."

He hadn't said that yet. He hadn't felt the need and neither had she. Such small, insignificant words compared to actions. But now she kissed him again, took his mask off (he thanked God for the blacked windows) and kissed his cheek.

"I love you too, Erik." She whispered before slipping out of the car.

When she walked over to Meg's house, she found her friend sunbathing in the back garden, Trister lying on the grass, panting in the hot weather. He barked joyfully at the sight of her and she laughed, hugging him tightly.

"I missed you too, Trister! Oh, were you a good boy for Meg?" She told him as he licked her cheek. She wiped it and smiled at Meg. "How was he?"

"An angel. How was your evening?" Meg asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Christine smiled widely and said,

"It was _incredible_. The music was fantastic, Meg, I've never heard anything like it. And we were sat in a private box and everything, it was amazing."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Tell me about _him_, not about the music!" Meg said, sitting up.

Christine smiled and sat on the grass beside Meg's sun lounger.

"OK, I've got to swear you to secrecy." She told her and Meg crossed her heart.

"My lips are sealed. Tell me."

"Well, there was this party afterwards and we stuck around for a while, but it was too busy and hot, so we decided to go. And we were stood outside the Opera House, waiting for the car and… and he kissed me."

"Oh my GOD!" Meg squealed and Christine laughed.

"I know! Oh, Meg, it was amazing…"

"That is so incredible! What happened next?"

"Well, we got into the car and we were both really quiet, because we thought the other one was annoyed. And then we got back to his house and we had wine, but neither of us was saying anything. And I was about to say something and he kissed me again and said that he wanted to do it again in case I told him that I wasn't interested like that."

Meg nearly passed out with joy and Christine giggled.

"What then?"

"And then… then I told him that I cared about him and we kissed again. A lot."

"And?" Meg said eagerly.

"And… I'd tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you." Christine said, getting to her feet and calling to Trister. Meg started at her.

"You mean… you… Christine!" She launched herself at her friend, hugging her tightly. "I am so incredibly, deliriously happy for you!"

"Thanks, Meg! I'll get your dress back to you at some point."

"No problem sweetie. Oh my god, this is so exciting!"

"But you can't tell anyone. We want to keep it secret so that the show doesn't suffer. I've got to get going."

"OK, no problem. I'll see you later, I need to work on my tan. But you are going to give me more details!" Meg knocked her sunglasses back down and settled back. Christine laughed and whistled to Trister.

**A/N: I know what you're thinking: 11 chapters of zilch action between them and now… well. Don't worry, still plenty of suffering and many trials for them to face. Hee hee. Well, it'd be so dull if they were happy all the time! Far more interesting when they're all tormented and tortured.**

**It's a good thing I'm a sucker for happy endings, isn't it? Also, be warned that the daily updates will soon be coming to an end. As I've said before, I'm back at school now. Today was my first day back and it was horrible A load of talks about the coming year (yawn) and then an afternoon with the Royal Marines. I got halfway through the sprinting exercises when I had a mixture between an asthma attack and a panic attack and collapsed. Not fun. On top of that I had x-rays this morning on my jaw and I may need braces. Delight. But Chapters 13,14,15 and 16 are written and I'm working on 17. So you've got a few more updates to go.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you, as usual, for the awesome reviews. **

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	13. Chapter 13: Dinner

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Christine spent Sunday bustling around the house, tidying rooms that were already perfectly clean and resisting the temptation to call Erik.

It should have been simple. She wanted to be with him. She loved him and he loved her. Surely that was all that there should have been to it.

But obviously, that wasn't going to be enough. And the most obvious problem in her mind was Max. She liked Max, she really did. And she didn't want to hurt him. But when everyone found out about her and Erik, which shouldn't be for some time, someone was going to get hurt and Christine knew that it would be Max.

There was also the age difference. At least ten years, she guessed. It didn't seem so important, what was ten years really? Hardly any time at all. That was no reason to assume that it wouldn't work out.

But something that was worrying Christine was the reason that she had been with Erik last night. She had even admitted it to Erik.

_I don't want to be alone anymore._

Had she just taken advantage of him? He had been there, she could tell that he wanted her, had she simply used him as comfort, something to take her mind off of the worry in her life? She had taken his mask off, taken away his only defence.

His face had shocked her. She hadn't shown it, but she had been surprised. And yet, looking back, she found that what she had said was true. She didn't care that his face was different. That wasn't why she loved him.

Christine sighed and sat down on the sofa, her head in her hands. Was this all just some horrible mistake? And what did Erik think about all of this? What if he thought that it had been the wrong thing, that they shouldn't see each other again?

No… he wouldn't say that. He wouldn't. But it was all happening so fast. Hadn't she insisted to Meg just before saying Erik that this wasn't a date? And by the end of the evening she'd been in bed with him. What sort of person did that make her?

She wanted to talk to him. Wanted to know what he thought about everything, if he was doubting it as well. She couldn't just sit here and do nothing. But they had agreed not to talk to each other, to spend time apart, thinking things through.

Christine thought that if she spent any more time alone she might just go insane.

* * *

Erik paced the living room, glancing occasionally at the phone. It would be so easy just to call her… but they had agreed. They needed to think this through.

Erik did not regret for one moment what had happened between them. That much was clear to him. What he did regret was that it had happened so quickly. She was so much younger than him. What did she think about all of this? What if she decided that she didn't want to go any further, that the night they had spent together was a mistake?

He wouldn't be able to do it. He could not go to that theatre, see her everyday, to have her within his reach but be forbidden to touch her again. It would kill him, knowing that he could have had her, that she could have been his but never would be.

But that wouldn't happen, would it? She was the one who had told him that she wanted to be with him. Why would she have said that if she hadn't meant it? And she hadn't even flinched when she took away the mask.

God, he wanted to see her. More than that. He wanted to touch her again, to assure himself that what they had shared had been real. But he couldn't. They had agreed.

He was going to go insane before he made it to the theatre.

* * *

Christine caught the bus on Monday morning and arrived at theatre at ten to nine. To her surprise, she heard voices in the theatre. That was odd, it was usually only Max and Tom, but she definitely heard several other people. Perhaps some of them had come in early to practise. Christine was too preoccupied with what she was going to say to Erik when she saw him.

She went in and took her jacket off, her mind still on Erik. What if he had changed his mind? She prayed desperately that he hadn't. Just that one day that they had spent apart had been torturous. Then she realised there was a deathly silence in the room. Christine looked around and saw most of the cast were already here, as well as Tom, Max and Dr Carter. They were all staring at her. She looked back, puzzled.

"What's going on? How come everyone's here this early?" She asked, panicking slightly. Had they been told to come early and she'd forgotten?

"I _knew_ you were lying!" Rebecca called out. Christine stared at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"She's talking about this, Christine." Max said coldly, moving forward and shoving a newspaper at her. Christine took and it looked down. It was the Sunday evening paper and there was an extra magazine inside about the reopening of the Opera House. The page Max had thrust at her held two photographs. One of herself and Erik on the red carpet, smiling for the cameras, hands clasped, with an article about Erik's works. The second picture…

Christine stared in horror at the photograph. She had forgotten about the photographer who had jumped on them as they had kissed for that first time outside the theatre. The picture was lit by the lights coming from the theatre and showed Christine and Erik locked in a passionate kiss, Christine's hands in his hair, him pulling her to him. The caption read _Erik Destler and his leading lady_.

Christine didn't bother to read the rest of the article. She looked up at the waiting crowd and Max asked quietly,

"Is it true? Are you really going out with him?" Christine didn't reply. She was staring in horror at the photograph, her heart beating painfully in her chest. She put a hand to her forehead in disbelief, the blood pounding in her brain.

"Christine, answer me! Is this true?" Max said loudly. Everyone waited in silence for her reply.

But she never got a chance because Nadir and Erik entered, talking quietly. They must have gotten out of their meeting early, she realised. They stopped as they saw them all standing there. Nadir said calmly,

"What's going on? You're all very early."

"We had a few questions we hoped you could clear up." Rebecca sneered. Erik looked calmly from her to the rest of the people. Then his eyes settled on Christine. She couldn't meet his gaze and Max ripped the magazine from her hands and waved it at Erik. He took it silently and his eyes flicked over the picture. His eyes widened briefly and he looked up at Christine. She watched him fearfully.

"The photographer… we forgot about him…" She said shakily.

"You're freaking kidding me." Max said flatly. Christine took a shuddering breath and looked at Erik, not knowing what to do. Erik, to his credit, calmly folded the magazine in half and tossed it onto a chair.

"Since most of you are here anyway, we may as well start on _Prima Donna_." He said.

"Wait a minute!" Rebecca said and Erik turned an ice cold glare on her.

"We are here to put on a performance, Miss Griffins, not to satisfy your need for idle gossip. Either start rehearsing or leave. Your choice. Phantom, Christine and Raoul, warm up." He strode off, leaving Nadir to look at the magazine. Nadir glanced at Christine.

"How long have you been here?"

"About two minutes before you arrived." She whispered.

"What did they say?"

"They just wanted to know if it was true. I didn't have a chance to say anything."

"You don't have to. This does not concern the show and they can't make you admit to anything. If you want my advice, just keep quiet."

"OK." Christine nodded, sounding surer than she actually was. Nadir nodded and slipped the magazine into his briefcase.

"I'll be having harsh words with the reporters for this one." He said darkly. "I suggest you warm up."

Christine moved silently down the hall to the piano. Tom and Max were talking quietly but fell silent as she approached. Erik sat at the piano and began to play the warm ups without speaking. They sang perfectly, none of them meeting the others eyes. Christine fixed her gaze firmly on the cover of her scorebook. Erik opened his own copy and said,

"Mr Sutherland, go and do _Prima Donna._ You two, go to the small studio and you can do _The Point of No Return_. I'll join you in a moment.

He went to speak with Dr Carter. Christine picked up her score and walked silently to the door, Max just behind her. When they were in the studio, Christine glanced at him nervously. He looked at her and said quietly,

"Tom told me that you two had a conversation. You said there was no one else. And when I asked you out you told me that you couldn't feel that way about anyone."

"Max, I wasn't… when I said that there was no one else, it was the truth and I didn't think that I could feel like that."

"Don't play stupid, Christine, I know you're not. Just tell me, did you like him when I asked you out? All those times we went for coffee, were you even interested in me, even for a moment?"

Christine felt like crying. She bit her lip and said,

"Max, I am so sorry. You think I didn't try to feel more for you? Because I tried, I really did, but I couldn't. That's why I stopped going out with you, because I didn't want to lead you on."

"And when did you start with _him_?" Max asked bitterly. Christine frowned.

"Frankly, Max, I don't think that's any of your business. My highest priority is and always has been the show. So I'm hoping we can both push all of this aside and concentrate on what's important."

The door opened and Erik entered. He paused when he saw them glaring at each other but then went to the CD player and put the soundtrack on.

"Get into your places." He said calmly, and they did so.

The anger that both of them were feeling showed clearly in their song. Rather than being passionate, Max moved roughly, practically spitting the words at her and she in return glared at him most of the way through. Erik stopped the music and looked at them both irritably.

"That was terrible. Will you both please calm down a little and stop behaving like children? This is a passionate scene, not something from a playground. Do it again."

They moved back into position. Christine took a deep breath as she sank onto the step where she would be on the stage.

_OK, calm down. Acting, remember? Nothing has changed. Just act_.

Max began to sing, and she noticed the change in his voice. He was definitely putting more effort into it this time. Almost a little too much effort, Christine thought. She soon figured out what he was doing. His hands ran over her intimately and he sang so passionately, Christine almost laughed as she sang back.

He was trying to make Erik jealous. Christine risked a glance at her lover and noticed that he was watching carefully. But she was almost certain that she saw amusement in his eyes as she and Max moved apart, pretending to climb the twisting staircases that would lead them up onto the raised platform. They joined in the middle again and finished the song.

Erik considered them for a moment and then nodded.

"Much better. Good work, Mr Hodges." He turned to the CD player and Christine bit her tongue to stop herself laughing at the expression on Max's face.

* * *

They returned to the hall at the end of the session and Dr Carter dismissed them. Christine hovered out of the way until everyone had left and then Erik turned to her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… just freaked out a bit." She admitted. Erik smiled slightly.

"So I see. What were you and Max Hodges arguing about?"

"Oh, it was stupid. He was just asking a load of questions and I told him it was none of his business."

"I see. Do you want a lift home?"

"Actually, I was going to do some food shopping on the way home, so I'll walk." Christine said, putting the strap of her bag over her head to rest it on her shoulder.

"Very well."

Erik made sure that Dr Carter was elsewhere occupied before kissing her. Obviously the teacher knew about the relationship, but Erik wasn't about to go running about declaring it to the world. Christine smiled and hugged him. He breathed in the scent of her and said,

"Would you like to come for dinner tonight? We need to talk things through."

"That'd be nice." She smiled.

"I'll come for you at seven."

"Seven it is. I'll see you later." She said, and he kissed her again.

She headed for the door and called goodbye to Nadir as she went. Erik couldn't help smiling slightly as he watched her go.

* * *

Christine walked down the steps outside the theatre and walked along the brightly lit street. The hot summer sunshine warmed her face and despite the bad start to the morning, she couldn't help smiling to herself.

It was then that she noticed the group at the end of the street. Rebecca was among them, and the rest were members of the cast or dancers. Christine kept walking and paused to cross the street. She'd been planning to cross further down but would rather avoid the confrontation if possible.

Too late. They'd seen her and had started down the road towards her. Christine swore under her breath as the traffic grew heavier, forcing her to keep back on the pavement. She'd have to wait for the cars to move before she could cross.

"Hey, Christine." One of the girls said in a falsely nice voice. Christine smiled faintly.

"Hi."

"Where are you going? I thought you stayed behind for… _help_." One of the girls tittered. Christine said calmly,

"I'm going shopping."

"What sort of shopping?"

"Food shopping." She said simply, peering at the traffic. But the group had pretty much surrounded her. For the first time Christine felt a little afraid, but hid it as best she could.

"How comes? Why don't you just send a servant out for it? I figure, a guy that rich has got to have a couple of servants."

"Maybe he does have servants. I don't." Christine said pointedly. Rebecca smirked.

"Can I just ask, how does he kiss? You looked like you were having a lot of fun in that picture."

"That's really none of your business, Rebecca." Christine said, feeling hope as the traffic slowed. She checked the other side and said,

"I've got to go. Bye."

But to her horror, they began to cross with her. She picked up her pace, walking swiftly down the pavement. It was about fifteen minutes to the shop and another twenty home. Hopefully she could lose them somewhere along the way.

"So, when are you getting your car back?" one of the guys asked. Christine answered,

"Sometime this week."

"It's a pretty nice car. Did you buy it yourself?"

"Who else would buy it for me?" Christine asked coldly, stopping to glare at the girl who had said it. She smirked back.

"Your parents? Why, who were _you_ thinking of, Christine?" They all burst out laughing. Christine waited for the laughter to die before saying calmly.

"No. I bought it for myself. It would be quite interesting to see how my parents bought it, seeing as how they're both _dead_."

The girl stared at her in horror and lifted her hand to her mouth.

"Oh God… Christine, I didn't-"

"Would you like details about it? You all seem intent on gossiping about me, so shall I tell you how it happened? All the juicy details about how they died?" Christine said savagely. None of them replied and she said, "Stop following me. I have nothing to say to any of you."

She turned and walked away, wrapping her arms around herself to stop herself bursting into tears. The group stared after her but didn't follow.

* * *

From the theatre doorway, Nadir watched as Christine walked down the road. He saw her hesitate and turn to cross the road. He frowned, wondering what had made her change course. He moved forward slightly and saw the group of students heading for her. She kept her eyes on the traffic as they surrounded her, talking. Nadir wondered if he should interrupt but paused as she crossed the road. But they followed her and she tried to move ahead down the road. One of the students said something and Christine stopped in her tracks, spinning around. Even at this distance, Nadir could see the anger emanating from her and certainly whatever she said caused the students to stop following her.

Nadir smiled. That girl could certainly handle herself well.

* * *

After she brought Trister back from his evening walk, Christine debated over what to wear for dinner. She didn't know what sort of dinner Erik had in mind and this made it a bit hard for her to decide but she settled on a knee length black skirt with a sky blue blouse. She pinned her hair up and decided that she looked casual enough, but not too casual.

Trister lay on her bed, watching her get ready. She smiled and kissed his head.

"You're still my favourite guy, Trister. No one could ever take your place." He simply rolled onto his back, hoping to have his stomach rubbed. Christine did so laughing and then jumped as the doorbell rang. She hurried downstairs, Trister on her heels and opened the door. Erik looked surprised as Trister jumped up at him excitedly, but patted the dog's ears. He smiled at Christine.

"You look lovely."

"Thank you." She blushed and pushed Trister back inside, closing the door. Erik held out his arm and she took it.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously and he lifted an eyebrow.

"That's a surprise."

He drove the car that evening and as they drove to wherever they were going, Christine asked,

"Was Dr Carter angry?"

"Not particularly. Apparently for the amount of money I've putting into the show, I can do what I want." Erik said, lifting an eyebrow. Christine smiled.

"Sounds about right for Dr Carter."

"I heard you had some trouble outside the theatre." Erik said calmly. Christine glanced at him quickly.

"How did you know?"

"Nadir saw you."

"Oh… yeah, it was just some people saying some stupid stuff. I got rid of them pretty quickly."

The tone of her voice made it quite clear that she didn't want to talk about it any further, so Erik didn't ask anything more about it. Eventually he stopped the car. Christine peered out of the dark windows.

"Erik, where are we?"

"If you'll follow me, you'll find out." He said secretively. Christine smiled and he took her hand, leading her through a narrow alleyway. They rounded a corner and Christine blinked in surprise as a small restaurant came into view.

They went inside and Erik said,

"A reservation for two. Under Destler."

"Of course, Mr Destler. If you'd like to come this way." The waiter said, leading them to a small corner table. They sat down and Erik ordered wine for them before looking at the menu. Christine asked,

"How on earth did you find this place?"

"Nadir mentioned it." Erik said vaguely. Christine smiled and glanced down at the menu.

Once they had ordered, Erik looked across at Christine.

"I think we need to talk." She looked at him, almost warily and he sighed. "After what happened today… I will understand if you'd prefer not to carry on this relationship. It won't be easy, especially for you and-"

"May I ask you to do something for me?" Christine asked. He nodded, surprised.

"Of course."

"Stop talking. Yes, it'll be difficult, but we knew that from the start. I'm not about to give up on this before it even starts properly." She said stubbornly.

Erik gazed at her, half admiring and half apprehensive. She looked at him solemnly.

"Erik… I haven't been with anyone for a very long time. I never met anyone who struck me as being someone I could spend any amount of time with. I only ever had one long term boyfriend, and that was when I was fifteen. I just couldn't connect to people after my parents died. Until I met you."

Christine looked down at her wineglass and said quietly,

"I just don't understand why you could possibly want me."

"Because you're a strong, extraordinary, wonderful young woman." Erik said simply and she smiled.

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Christine, I have admired you since I first heard you sing, at the auditions. I was thrilled that I would be able to work with you, just so I could hear you sing again. I never meant to fall in love."

"Does anyone?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow. Erik agreed and said,

"Friday night was the best night of my life. I'm sorry that sounds like something out of a badly scripted film, but it's true. If you think that we can make this work, then we should definitely try."

"I do think we can." Christine said strongly.

Their soup arrived and Erik said,

"I never intended for this to happen."

"Neither did I."

"It's not going to be easy. I think we figured that out today. It's not so much of a problem for me, but it will be hard for you. They're your peers after all."

"Erik, I don't care. I've never really felt that close to any of them. I hardly know most of them." Christine pointed out. She smiled. "Let's just get through the show in one piece."

"That will be quite an achievement in itself, especially after the show Max Hodges was putting on today." Erik raised an eyebrow and Christine laughed.

"Oh, that was so funny! He was just trying to make you jealous. The look on his face was priceless, when you didn't react to it."

They spent sometime discussing the show at length until they had finished their main meals. Christine leant back in her chair and considered him.

"OK, I have to ask. Your name is Erik, you have Box 5, you wear a mask and dress in black a lot. When exactly _did_ you become obsessed with the Phantom of the Opera?" Erik smirked.

"Many years ago. I had seen it for the first time and was mesmerised. I had been wearing… covers, hoods until then. But after that I sent for this mask." He gestured at the white piece adorning his face. "I collected records, CD's, books, programmes, anything about it I could get my hands on. I never had a chance to work on it, during my time in the theatres. So when I heard that it was the show at the university, I insisted that I be the sponsor." He said, sipping his wine.

Christine smiled.

"And no one batted an eyelid at the fact that you wore a mask?"

"The people of theatres are very odd, Christine. I've been to New York, Paris, Australia and many more and you could walk around the Opera Houses wearing things a thousand times stranger than a mask and no one would care." Erik replied. Christine tilted her head to one side and asked,

"OK… what's your favourite film?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's just occurring me how little I actually know about you. What sort of films you like, if you like sports, your favourite food and drink. The little things. I mean, I don't even know how old you are!" Christine said, drinking her wine. Erik smiled.

"I'm thirty-one. My favourite film? I'm not sure. I don't spend a lot of time watching films."

"But you must have seen some."

"I have. Mostly recommended by Nadir though and his favourite film is '_Singing in the Rain_'. I've seen it at least a dozen times."

"I _love_ that film!" Christine laughed. Erik smiled.

"No, I don't care for sports, although I do try to keep in shape. My favourite drink is difficult as I am partial to many fine wines. And my favourite food is roasted duck with lemon or orange sauce."

"Duck? Really?"

"Yes, why?" he said, worried about the frown she'd developed.

"Nothing, it's… it's just that ducks are cute."

He stared at her and smirked. She flushed slightly.

"Don't laugh! But if you tell me that you've eaten veal, I'm going home." Erik didn't reply and her eyes widened.

"_Erik_!" He arched an eyebrow as he drank some wine and she rolled her eyes.

* * *

After dinner, Erik drove her back to her house.

"Shall I pick you up in the morning?"

"Might as well. It's not as if we have anything to hide anymore." Christine said. They reached the door and she turned to him and said, before she knew what she was doing she had said, "Do you want to come in?"

He smiled slightly.

"We have rehearsals in the morning. We need to sleep."

"Oh. OK." Christine said. She took a deep breath and then said quickly, "Do you want to come in?"

Erik stared at her and then kissed her, his hands curling into her hair as her arms slipped around his neck. And then he whispered,

"Not tonight. We have rehearsals."

"OK." She said, flushing slightly. He kissed her once more and then returned to the car. Christine closed the door behind her and grinned dopily down at Trister, who had come to meet her.

"Hey boy." She said, sinking to the floor to hug him. He wagged his tail, rubbing his head against her cheek. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Yeah, you're definitely my favourite guy. Just don't tell Erik, OK? I'll have to break that to him gently."

* * *

The next morning in the theatre, Christine sat by herself on the stage, making notes in her score whilst Erik and Nadir met with Dr Carter in the office. She looked up as someone came in. It was Max. She looked back down at her score and wrote something down. Max came up to the stage and glanced at her without speaking. She met his eyes briefly and then whispered,

"Good morning."

"Morning." He replied quietly, sipping a coffee. Christine hesitated and then swallowed.

"Max, come on. I don't want to fight with you, you're my friend."

"I know, Christine, I just… I know everybody was saying that there was something going on but I never thought for one moment that there actually was."

"Well, most of the time there wasn't. That magazine article… that was the first time we kissed. We'd never done anything before then." Christine said, trying to defend herself. Max looked at her.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But… but you liked him before that."

Christine looked down at her score and shrugged.

"I… well, I thought I had a crush on him. I thought that was all it was, and I figured he'd never like me like that. So I never did anything about it. And then, he asked me to go to that reopening, as a friend. I said yes, because I've always wanted to go to the Opera House and the musical line up was incredible."

"And it just ended differently?" Max said dryly. Christine nodded and met his eyes.

"Neither of us meant for it to happen, it just sort of… did."

"Do you love him?"

She was surprised at the audacity of the question but couldn't help smiling as she said,

"Yes, I do. And he loves me. Max, I never wanted to hurt anyone, least of all you." He smiled sadly and nodded.

"I know. I guess it was just the shock. I mean… I still like you, Christine. But I'm not going to get insanely jealous and go on a rampage or anything."

"No, you'd rather just intensely overact during _The Point of No Return_." She teased. Max blushed and grinned.

"Can't blame a guy for trying. Was Mr Destler annoyed?"

"No, he thought it was entertaining. We'd better warm up."

She climbed off the stage and then hugged him tightly.

"Thanks Max. You're the best."

"I know, I know."

"Modest too." She noted.

"Definitely." Max laughed, hugging her back. Someone cleared their throat and they both looked up. Tom was watching with an amused grin.

"Aw, you guys made up."

"Sure did." Max said, draping an arm over Christine's shoulders. She elbowed him in the ribs.

"Watch it, Hodges. Don't get too comfy."

"OK. Come on, let's warm up before your boyfriend throws an artistic tantrum." Max smirked. Christine ground her teeth.

"That's it. I'm not letting you feel me up in _The Music of the Night_ anymore."

"Aw, Christine, don't be mean."

"Nope, you lost your chance."

"I'll be nice!"

She shook her head and smirked.

"Too late. Warm ups." She went to the piano. Max sighed and caught Tom grinning.

"What's so funny?"

"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

"I've been told that before." Max admitted.

* * *

The rehearsal went rather well that day. They concentrated mostly on _The_ _Point of No Return _and _Down Once More_. Max seemed to have lightened up slightly and his movements were a little less provocative during _The Point of No Return_. When they finished their parts, Christine was summoned to the make-up room to try on her _Don Jun Triumphant_ costume.

Once it was on, she sat down for make up and June smirked.

"OK, we're gonna want to do something about _those_." She gestured at the love bites on Christine's neck. Christine gasped and covered them with her hand but June just laughed and reached for some powder.

"Give over, Christine. It's not like I've never seen them before."

"I… it's…" Christine stammered and flushed as June laughed again.

"God, you crack me up! I suppose this is a certain Mr Destler's handiwork?" Christine flushed an even darker shade and June grinned, lifting an eyebrow as she powered over the marks.

"Just make sure he doesn't do anymore before the performance. Otherwise he'll have me to face, for wasting make-up supplies."

"Who's wasting supplies?" said a voice from the door. Christine looked at the reflection in her mirror and smiled. June waved a make-up brush at Erik.

"You are, Mr Destler."

"And how am I doing that?" Erik asked, folding his arms. June pulled back Christine's hair to reveal the marks and Erik couldn't help giving a smirk.

"Very well, June. I'll be more careful in future."

"Please do be. You're done, Christine." June said, brushing over the last mark. Christine got up and frowned down at the revealing corset.

"June…"

"Don't blame me for that one. That's Mr Khan's work."

"I must congratulate him." Erik said and Christine glared at him, rearranging the sleeves, which had slipped down.

"OK, these sleeves don't stay up."

"I don't think they're supposed to. Anyway, get going, I want Max in here." June said pushing her out.

She and Erik returned to the theatre, passing Max as they went. He grinned.

"Love the outfit. What's wrong with the sleeves?" She glared at him and he hurried on. Erik smirked,

"Christine…"

"Don't. I'll be good." She promised as they entered the theatre. She went to sit down by her bag with her score and was joined by Kirstie, the new Meg Giry. Christine smiled.

"Hi Kirstie."

"I love your costume, Christine." Kirstie said, sitting down. Christine pulled a face.

"I'm beginning to think that all the costumes were designed by perverts. First the lingerie and now this." She made an irritated noise as the sleeves slipped again. Kirstie laughed,

"You look great!"

"Thanks. Happy about getting the new part?"

"I can't believe it! I was so happy. I feel a bit sorry for Terri though. Why did she leave? I mean, there are a load of rumours going around but…" Christine hesitated and then said,

"She was… well, she sent me a threatening note and these stupid pictures and then she wrecked my car."

"That was _her_?"

"Yeah. Anyway, Mr Destler told her to leave and Mr Khan said that you would make a good Meg."

Kirstie flushed and grinned. Christine pushed the sleeves up again and said,

"These are going to drive me insane. How am I supposed to act and sing when I'm worrying about my sleeves?"

"You'll manage. You're a really good singer."

"So are you. And you dance incredibly."

"Christine, _The Point of No Return_ onstage." Nadir called as Max returned wearing his costume. Christine smiled at Kirstie.

"We'll talk later, OK?"

"Sure."

Christine joined Max on stage and he rolled his eyes behind the black mask.

"How sexy do I look in this?"

"I refuse to answer that." She said, pulling the sleeves up. "I swear, I'm just going to staple these things to my shoulders!"

"Nah, they're OK." Max said dismissively, moving to the other side of the stage. Christine sat on the step, brushing her hair out of her face as the music began to play. She looked up slowly as Max began to sing, putting on a face of confusion and amazement as 'Christine' realised that it was the Phantom.

Unfortunately, a few bars later, as Max pulled Christine towards him, his foot caught on the long skirt of her costume. So, as she moved away, she tripped over, taking Max with her. The music stopped as the pair crashed to the stage. Max sat up, rubbing his head and Erik moved towards them.

"What happened?" he demanded, helping them up. Christine winced.

"My fault. The skirt got in the way, it's too long."

"I'll have June turn it up a couple of inches." Erik said. Christine looked at Max and frowned.

"Max, you're bleeding."

"Huh?"

She touched his forehead and he jerked away as her fingers met the wound.

"It's only a cut." He said. Erik frowned.

"There's a medical kit in the office. Christine, could you fetch it? It's under the desk." She nodded and went to find it. When she returned Erik wiped the cut clean and fastened a sticking plaster over the cut. Max grinned.

"Good as new."

"Christine, go and ask June to turn up the skirt. Mr Hodges, sit down for a few minutes to recover whilst Mr Khan sorts out the sounding."

Christine disappeared to the costume room and relayed the message to June who grumbled but stood her on a stool, pinning the skirt into place.

"This production is going to drive me up the wall." June muttered. "Take the costume off, I'll run it through the sewing machine." Christine quickly dressed in her normal clothes and handed the dress to June, who went over to the sewing machine and began to work on the outfit.

"We've got you through all of your costumes now, right?" June said absently. Christine nodded.

"I've tried them all on."

"Good. You, Tom and Max are all sorted. I just need to alter Rebecca's dress slightly and she'll be done. And I need to change all of Terri's clothes to fit Kirstie now. I hate it when people spring extra work on me. Here, that should be right."

Christine hung the dress up with her other costumes. The rehearsal was only for another quarter of an hour, there didn't seem to be much point in changing back again. Max was chatting with Tom when she returned. She looked at his cut.

"Is it OK?"

"If I can't remember my name in the morning, I'll let you know." Max grinned. Christine smiled and sat down. Dr Carter clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"That's it for today people. Two weeks and four days until Opening Night. Let's keep that in mind. I want a run-through of all the major scenes tomorrow. I'll see you then." He disappeared into the office. Christine looked around for her things and Max tapped her arm.

"See you tomorrow Christine."

"Bye Max."

He disappeared and Christine began to put her things away. Nadir sat down and scratched his head.

"This show is going to drive me to an early retirement." He sighed. Christine smiled.

"That bad?"

"Half of the soundtrack just got chewed up. Once we get the orchestra in it won't be so much of a problem, but they're not arriving until next Friday so now I've got to get hold of another copy until the orchestra gets here."

"I've got a blank soundtrack at home. I'll make you a copy, if you want." Christine said. Nadir stared at her.

"You have?"

"Yes."

"That'd be brilliant. You're an angel, Christine." She laughed at that, sitting down beside him.

"I do my best."

She glanced at him sideways and a smile spread across her face. He looked at her suspiciously.

"What's so amusing?"

"I _have_ to know. Is _Singing in the Rain_ really your favourite film?"

"Well… yes." He admitted. Christine smiled.

"A man with taste."

"Try telling Erik that." Nadir grumbled as he came out of the office. Erik put some papers into a case and then turned to them.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

They all headed outside and Erik asked,

"Did June fix the costume?"

"Hmm, she turned it up a couple of inches. The costumes for me, Max and Tom are all done now."

"That's a relief. And the orchestra arrive on Friday. We need to make sure the microphones are fixed up." Erik said thoughtfully. "It's all very well singing with a soundtrack, but the orchestra are going to be considerably louder."

"Plus the backdrops aren't finished." Nadir commented.

"Most of the props are done though." Christine pointed out. "It's going to be fine."

"I'm glad you're so optimistic about this. Let's hope it's an infectious attitude." Erik said with a brief smile. Christine returned it.

"Everyone is doing their best. How could it be anything less than perfect if everyone does that?"

Erik lifted his eyebrow and said,

"You're very confident."

"Well, I _sound_ it at least." Christine said with a smile.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I _had_ to put in the bit about the sleeves. I couldn't stop laughing all the way through that scene, with her sleeves falling down all the time. **

** Time for a little gloating - I'M GOING TO LIVE 8 IN HYDE PARK! My brother won tickets and he's taking me! I love my brother!  
**

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	14. Chapter 14: The Past

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Neither Erik nor Christine had much spare time the following week, so they only managed to see each other properly a couple of times, going out for dinner twice.

On the Friday, a week before the Opening Night on the following Saturday, the orchestra arrived. Christine, Max and Tom watched incredulously as they set up in the orchestra pit below the stage.

"OK, this all got a little too professional." Max muttered. Christine nodded.

"Intimidation levels just rose."

"Isn't this a bit over-the-top for a university performance?" Tom commented, watching a man with a tuba clean his instrument.

"I guess they just want it to look really professional." Christine said, moving out of the way of a group of violinists.

Erik came out of the office and joined them.

"You all look rather ill." He commented. Max laughed, sounding a little panicky.

"Just going crazy."

"Why?"

"A full orchestra? Isn't this a little… big?" Christine asked. Erik arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not someone to do things by halves. As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a university production, this is a professional show. You all have the talent for it; I don't see why we shouldn't take advantage of that. Go and get into your costumes for _Masquerade_."

They all walked to the costume room in silence. June looked at them all suspiciously.

"What's got you three all depressed?"

"The orchestra."

"Get over it, we've got a show to put on and a week to do it in. Christine, your dress is on the rack, you two, yours are in the cupboard. Get moving."

Christine put on the pink dress and June deftly applied make-up, and then put the ring around her neck on a chain.

"There you go. Max, get out here." Max came out, pulling the mask on. June smeared dark make-up around his eyes to give the illusion of a skull with the mask. Christine began to hunt through the cupboard for the shoes to match her outfit. She pulled them out and put them on, heading for the door as Tom and Max finished their make-up.

* * *

Nadir and Erik were waiting by the piano, holding small microphone clips. 

"You're going to need these once the orchestra starts." Nadir commented, clipping one to the front of Max's Red Death outfit. Erik took Christine's and deftly attached it to the edge of her dress. His fingers brushed against the ring and he checked the chain. There was a very thin link on the chain that Max would be able to break easily without hurting Christine.

"Are we all ready?" Dr Carter called. The three singers nodded and Erik said,

"We'll just run through a couple of sings first, so you can get used to the microphones. Then we'll try with actions. Let's see… _Think of Me_, _The Phantom of the Opera_ and _All I Ask of You_ first. Then we'll have _Masquerade_."

"Very well, Mr Destler." Dr Carter said, speaking with the conductor of the Orchestra. He was a tall, thin man with wildly curling grey hair and a trim moustache. Christine stared at him and then her mouth fell open.

Dr Carter beckoned Christine, Max and Tom forward.

"Come and meet Mr Austin." He said. Mr Austin smiled, shaking hands with Max and Tom and then he saw Christine.

"Good lord… Christine Danes! It is you, isn't it? Charles and Faith's girl?"

"Mark! I didn't know you were going to be coming here." Christine smiled. Mark Austin hugged her.

"How long has it been? Four, five years since I last saw you?"

"At least!"

"You know each other?" Dr Carter said, surprised. Mr Austin smiled brightly at him.

"I worked with Christine's parents in London. I've known Christine since she was born! I haven't seen her since she was just a child."

"I was at least fourteen." Christine protested.

"Christine, your parents worked in musicals?" Tom said in surprise. Mark laughed heartily.

"You didn't know? They were the Phantom and Christine in a performance of _The Phantom of the Opera_!"

Max and Tom stared at her and she went slightly pink. Max grinned.

"Keeping secrets like that. Honestly, Christine!"

"And you are our Christine Daae as well? Charles and Faith would have been delighted." Mark smiled. Christine smiled too, a little weakly.

"I know."

"Well, let's get rehearsing. I haven't heard you sing in years, I want to see how you sound!" Mark said. Christine moved towards the stage and Erik turned on her microphone.

"I didn't know you knew Mark Austin."

"I didn't know _you_ did." Christine pointed out. Erik nodded and then turned to Mark. He moved in front of the orchestra and the music began, a solo piano piece to begin with. Christine sang the first verse, surprised at how loudly her voice echoed around the room with the microphone, and then had to take a step back as the music swelled loudly. But she managed to recover in time to sing her next line, glad for the microphone. This was certainly a big step from singing with a single piano or a soundtrack.

* * *

The rehearsal went quite well, although everyone seemed a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the orchestra. Nonetheless, they finished the rehearsal in good spirits. Everyone began to leave, looking forward to the weekend. Christine changed back into her normal clothes and gave the microphone clip to Dr Carter before turning to talk to Mark Austin. He smiled. 

"How have you been, Christine? I was very sorry to hear about your parents."

"Thank you, Mark. I'm fine. It's been… hard, these last few years. But everything is coming back together now." Christine told him with a brief smile.

"I'm glad. You're a brave young woman. And you sing beautifully. I was quite astonished!"

Christine smiled and then turned as Erik put a hand on her shoulder. Mark smiled at him.

"Erik Destler, it's been quite some time."

"It has, Mr Austin."

"You've got a talented group here. I'm very impressed."

"Indeed, they _are_ talented." Erik agreed. Christine smiled.

"Well you _have_ to say that."

"You should know me well enough to know that I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Erik commented. Christine couldn't disagree with that. Mark smiled.

"It's an honour to be working with you again, Mr Destler, and with you, Christine."

"Thank you, Mr Austin. Come, Christine, the car is waiting."

"OK, I'll just get my bag."

Christine went to collect her things and then joined Erik at the door. Nadir was speaking with Dr Carter but soon came over.

"We all ready?" he said and they both nodded. When they reached Christine's house, Erik walked her to her door.

"Dinner tonight?" He asked, running his fingers over her hand.

"I'd love to." She smiled.

"7:30. I'll pick you up."

"OK."

He pressed his mouth to hers briefly before turning and going back to the car. Christine smiled as she unlocked the door. Trister bounded at her and she patted him.

"Good boy. Let's go for a walk."

* * *

After a quick walk around the park, Christine returned and saw that there were two messages on the machine. She pressed play as she pulled her shoes off. 

"_Hey, Christine, it's Meg. Want to catch a movie tomorrow night? Call me!_"

"_Hello Christine, it's Trisha. Just checking in. Everything alright with you? Give me a ring when you get in, I want to hear how the musical is going!_"

Christine smiled and called Meg first, leaving a message on her machine telling her that she did want to see a film. Then she rang her aunt.

"Hi Trisha, it's me."

"Hello Christine, how are you?"

"I'm fine, how are Jack and the girls?" Christine said, going into the kitchen to pour herself a cold drink as she listened to Trisha's news.

"So, how's the musical going?" Trisha asked cheerfully.

"It's great. We had the orchestra in for the first time today. It was so _loud_, I was grateful for the microphone! Oh, by the way, what night do you want tickets for?"

"Let's go for the last night, that's a Friday, isn't it? We can drive over and see you at your prime."

Christine smiled and wrote a note to herself to buy them tickets. Trisha didn't know about her and Erik, for which she was rather relieved. She wasn't sure how her aunt would react.

"OK, I'll pick them up next week. Anyway, how are _you_ feeling Trisha?"

"I'm great. I've been for a few tests and everything, just to make sure the baby is developing properly. Mel and Kelly are both hoping it's a boy, and I think Jack is too."

"Yeah, I want a boy cousin!" Christine laughed.

After a few minutes of further conversation, Trisha had to go to pick the girls up from a club. Christine hung the phone up and sank onto the sofa to watch some TV. Trister jumped up beside her, curling up with his head on Christine's lap as she flicked through the channels. There was very little on and she switched the set off, stroking Trister's head. He nuzzled his face against her and she kissed the soft fur on the top of his head. He looked up at her with big brown eyes and she smiled, unable to resist his adorable features.

"Oh, you're so darn cute." She scolded him. "Come on, let's get you some dinner."

After she scraped the contents of the dog food tin into his bowl, Christine headed upstairs to take a shower. She dressed quickly and went to the music room, playing as she waited for Erik to come for her. Trister lay next to the piano, chewing on a dog toy. It squeaked loudly and Christine looked down in irritation, the noise having interrupted the song she was playing. She began again but Trister squeaked the toy again. She reached down to take it from him but he darted away, tail wagging furiously. She grinned and chased after him and they rushed through the house, Christine almost falling down the stairs as Trister changed direction halfway up and went barrelling into her legs. Whilst they were running around the doorbell rang. Christine pulled it open, red in the face and breathless. Erik looked at her in surprise.

"What's going on?" He asked curiously. She grinned and panted.

"Be with you in a moment."

She had spotted Trister looking out of the living room, the toy in his mouth and dived after him. Erik watched in incredulity and amusement as Christine rushed after the dog, finally grabbing holding of the toy, falling over the coffee table, landing on her backside and waving the toy triumphantly in the air."

"I win!" She crowed delightedly. Trister barked and jumped on her. She dropped the toy, he picked it up and ran away. Christine laughed, getting to her feet and brushing herself down. Erik lifted an eyebrow.

"And this is how you entertain yourself?"

"The long winter evenings just fly by." Christine replied solemnly, pushing her hair out of her face. Trister reappeared, having safely hidden his toy and went to sniff at Erik. He stroked the dog's head as Christine picked up her bag and locked the back door.

"Ready?" He asked her and she nodded. They said goodbye to Trister and then walked down the front path to the waiting car. Erik opened the passenger door for Christine and then walked around to the driver's seat.

Since their first dinner out, Erik had taken to asking Nadir's opinion of where to take Christine. Nadir had been highly amused by this at first but had taken the job seriously, searching out restaurants that were small enough to ensure privacy, but large enough that the pair could interact properly. Nadir had known Erik for a very long time and in all that it he had never seen Erik as infatuated with someone as he appeared to be with Christine Danes. He had been with a few women, of course, mostly met around the various theatres and opera houses they had been at over the years, but they had always been short-lived relationships.

But now he had Christine. As Erik drove to the restaurant Nadir had recommended for the evening, he spoke lightly with Christine about the show and how the orchestra played and a few other little details. Christine commented on how well the dancers were doing and Erik agreed.

They reached the restaurant and sat at a small table in the corner with drinks and menus. Erik glanced across at Christine and couldn't help smiling to himself. How strange it seemed to him. How odd that he, Erik Destler, could be sat as any other person in a restaurant with a woman as beautiful as Christine opposite him. Not that long ago it would have seemed impossible.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked curiously. Erik looked up quickly. She was watching him with a curious expression on her face. Erik shook his head.

"Nothing in particular. What would you like to eat?"

"I think I'll have the Thai chicken." She said, glancing down at the menu. She closed it and set it down in front of her. Erik watched her closely, fascinated by the way she moved. It was smooth and elegant, almost like a dancer and with a slight half-smile playing about her mouth, pushing back a lock of dark hair, the lights reflecting in her soulful brown eyes.

"You're doing it again!" She said. He blinked in surprise.

"Doing what?"

"Just at there smiling to yourself. Come on, what are you smiling about?" She demanded. He raised an eyebrow.

"I was just thinking how lovely you looked."

She flushed and said,

"Why is it every time I start getting annoyed with you, I always end up looking bad? Like that time after the fixture nearly hit me and I was talking to you in the office and I yelled at you."

"Actually, I _was_ annoyed that day. I just found it more amusing to see the look on your face." Erik smirked. She looked at him in astonishment.

"I _knew_ it! Why were you annoyed?"

"Well… I'd just seen Max Hodges kissing you and…" He fell silent. Christine stared at him. And then she smiled.

"Were you _jealous_?" She asked. Erik didn't reply. Christine tapped his foot with hers underneath the table. "Answer me! Come on, let's have an honest relationship."

"Fine, yes, I was jealous." Erik said crossly.

Christine laughed delightedly at having made him admit it. Erik reached across the table and grasped her hand, smirking.

"So let's be honest. What was going on that day you first practised _Down Once More_, when you kissed young Mr Hodges?"

Christine flushed and stared down at her lap. Erik smirk widened and he tapped her foot teasingly.

"Come on. I answered yours, you answer mine."

"I don't want to." Christine told him.

"I didn't want to tell you. Be fair."

"Oh… _fine_. If you must know… well, you know how I'd fallen asleep?" He nodded and Christine took a breath to strengthen her resolve. "I…I had a dream about you."

"Really?" Erik seemed delighted and Christine pulled a face at him.

"Yes, really."

"What sort of dream?"

"Don't be disgusting, it was nothing like that." Christine scolded him. She sighed. "If you _must_ know… I dreamt that you were showing Max how to do the scene and… and when it got to the part where Christine kisses the Phantom, I kissed you and then… then I woke up. And then you told us to _do_ the scene and I just couldn't help it, because I kept thinking about you and- _stop laughing_!"

Erik had fallen back in his seat, shaking uncontrollably with silent laughter. Christine felt the blood rush to her face and she glared at him.

"Stop it! It's not funny, think about poor Max. It was horrible afterwards, and I shouted at him and everything! Oh… you're impossible." She folded her arms, pouting as Erik composed himself. He breathed calmly and then looked across at her.

"Quite done now?" She asked haughtily. He smiled.

"Yes, thank you."

They were interrupted by an awkward looking waitress, who seemed surprised at Christine's glare and Erik's smirk. She hastily put down the plates and hurried back to the kitchen. Erik and Christine exchanged a glance.

"I think we'd better double her tip." Erik commented and Christine nodded.

"Poor girl."

They looked at each other again and then both looked away, smiling to themselves as they began to eat. Eventually Erik said,

"I'm sorry for laughing at you."

"And I'm sorry for… no, wait. I'm really not." She said sweetly. Erik arched his eyebrow and she stuck her tongue out.

* * *

As they walked out to the car later that evening Erik asked, 

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm going to see a film with Meg tomorrow night, but that's it."

"Would you like to…?" He left the sentence unfinished, kissing her hand lightly. Christine smiled, facing him as they reached the car.

"Yes. I would."

They drove to the house without talking. Not through awkwardness, but because neither of them needed to talk. At the house, Christine noticed that none of the servants came to meet them. Erik must have told them to go home early. He took her coat, hanging it in a cloakroom. Then he smiled.

"A drink?"

"Please." She replied, following him to a room. He poured her some wine and they sat in front of the fireplace to drink and talk. She hesitated after a while and then said quietly,

"Can I ask about your past?"

He looked at her sharply and then said,

"What would you like to know?"

"Everything."

"That's a lot of information."

"I'm not going anywhere." She pointed out. Erik considered her and then settled back on the sofa beside her. She sat sideways, so she was facing him as he spoke.

He had been born in London, to wealthy parents. They had been trying for a child for a long time and finally his mother fell pregnant. But when he had arrived… he was not what they had expected. The disfigurement had caused his parents much anguish and he grew up out of the eye of the public, rarely leaving the house. When he was ten, he was admitted for surgery to correct the disfigurement. But the surgery had failed, time and time again. By the time he was fifteen he had had eleven operations and the doctors told his parents that they could do no more for him. A lost cause, Erik noted bitterly.

His mother had died when he was nearly sixteen. Cancer. In her final hours, she refused to see him. She had rarely wanted to see him and Erik had pleaded with his father to be allowed to go to her. But it was no good. Erik had not attended her funeral, staying locked in his room with his music. Because that was all he had. His father had had music teachers sent to him since he was a young boy, anything to keep him busy as his parents moved from dinner to party to social event.

Erik didn't know what his father's business had been. He wasn't sure all of it was particularly within the bounds of the law, either. But whatever it was, it had earned him a massive fortune, improved further by extreme skill in the stock markets. But his father had died suddenly, unexpectedly one night. A heart attack. He wasn't found until the next morning. By then it had been too late.

At that time, Erik had been a little over twenty and still he knew very little of the world outside his parent's house. Only what he had read and heard. But the few times he had left the house, it had been to visit his local theatre. He was known there and when his father died and he had power over his fortune, he funnelled a lot of money into the theatre. The managers had been more than a little grateful, offering him the finest seats.

But Erik hadn't wanted seats. He had wanted to create. He wrote his first opera and gave it to the managers who agreed to put it on. It was the only opera Erik ever wrote, although he wrote singular pieces of music, but he was soon directing and producing shows and being paid generously for it. He was soon being asked to produce shows in opera houses and theatres all over the place. Paris, America, Japan, Australia, China…

"What made you stop?" Christine asked. Erik sighed and sipped his wine.

"I saw too much."

"Too many shows?"

"No, Music is the one thing I could never tire of. The people I had to work with… well, I did not always get along with them. I decided to stop until I could find it within myself to work again. I returned to my home here. That was two years ago. I kept myself busy writing music and I went to several shows at the Opera House in town."

"When did you meet Nadir?"

"At the Opera House in London. I hired him almost immediately and he's been with me ever since." Erik said.

Christine sat in silence for a moment, thinking about all that he had told her. Erik watched her, wondering what thoughts were flowing through her mind. Eventually she said,

"And the university musical?"

"Nadir's fault. He had heard that it was being put on and mentioned it to me. I had him contact Dr Carter, saying I wanted to sponsor and help produce it."

She smiled briefly and said,

"And then you showed up for the auditions."

"I did. And I saw a young woman sat at the back of the room, waiting to audition and suggested that she take her turn to sing." Erik smiled.

"And now you can't get rid of her." Christine said in a falsely serious tone. Erik smirked.

"So it would appear. Now, it's your turn. Tell me everything."

Christine settled back in her seat with a smile.

"There's really not much that you don't already know. I'm twenty-one, I've lived in this town my whole life, with my parents until March 18th two years ago. I have some family, my dad's sister and her family. I've had a couple of boyfriends, but none after my parents died. My best friend is Meg Grayson. I don't really know many other people. At the end of the summer I'll be starting my final year at university. And after that… I haven't thought that far ahead really." She admitted.

"Something in theatre?"

"I hope so."

She ran a finger around the edge of the wineglass, making a strange echoing noise with the liquid. They sat in silence, the only sound that of the glass. Eventually Christine took her finger from the rim of the glass and said slowly,

"I think that you must be a lot stronger than I am."

"Why would you think that?" Erik asked. She shrugged and said,

"Because I'm still holding on. You managed to let go of the past, you've built up this life for yourself. I still can't move a thing in my parent's room."

"Just because you want to remember them doesn't mean that you're weak." Erik said firmly.

Christine didn't speak. She looked down at the glass, frowning slightly.

"…I haven't been to their graves since the funeral. Two years and I haven't…"

"Christine, you are _not_ weak." Erik insisted. She looked up at him and then put her glass down.

"I don't know. I just-"

Erik cut her off by pressing his mouth to hers. For a moment she couldn't do anything except welcome his kiss. And then her mind went blank.

* * *

Christine couldn't sleep. It was early the next morning and there was a watery morning light peeking through the curtains. Erik was sleeping beside her, their legs entangled and his arm draped around her waist. His rhythmic breathing made her smile, but thoughts plagued her and she knew they would not leave her until she had done what they commanded. 

Reluctantly she slipped out of the bed, washed quickly in the bathroom and then pulled on her clothes. Christine glanced over at the bed. Erik was lying with his scarred side pressing into the pillows. She crossed and pressed her lips to his cheek before slipping out of the room.

She made her way down the steps and hurried across the entrance hall.

"Where are you going?" She jumped and turned to see Nadir standing in a doorway, looking at her curiously. She said,

"I… there's something I have to do."

"Where's Erik?" Nadir asked, frowning.

"He's still sleeping. I didn't want to wake him." Christine explained. Nadir didn't look happy.

"Couldn't you wait until he wakes up before leaving?"

"No. I have to do this. I'll see you later." Christine said, opening the door and going through. Nadir frowned again and turned to go to the kitchen. Somehow he sensed his employer wasn't going to be happy about this.

* * *

Christine had never liked graveyards. Somehow the warm sunshine wasn't able to penetrate the walls of the cemetery as she picked her way through the rows. In one damp hand she clutched a bouquet of flowers. 

Suddenly the two graves were before her. She swallowed hard. Moss and grass had crept over the two headstones, almost blocking out the names. She knelt and clumsily brushed away the greenery, scraping at the stone until it was all cleared.

_Charles Danes_

_1957 – 2003_

_Beloved Husband and Father_

_Faith Danes_

_1961 – 2003_

_Beloved Wife and Mother_

Christine laid the bouquet in the small strip of green grass between the graves and reread the inscriptions. Other graves around her had poems or little messages on them but Christine hadn't been able to think of anything to say when asked what she wanted on them.

She hesitated and then whispered,

"Hi Mum. Dad. I'm… I'm sorry I haven't been here. I guess I was… afraid." She looked down at her hands. They were dirty from the earth and plants.

"A lot's been happening. I'm in the university summer show. _The Phantom of the Opera_, of all things. I'm Christine. You always knew I would be."

Christine sat with her parents for a good twenty minutes before she found she couldn't speak further. She swallowed hard, a lump rising in her throat. Tears pricked her eyes and she looked up at the blue sky, trying not to let them out.

"I miss you so much…" She whispered, her voice painfully tight. "I wish you were here."

* * *

He had woken and compulsively reached out for her only to find there was nothing there. He yawned, sitting up and looking around. 

"Christine?"

But her clothes were gone. Erik frowned and climbed out of bed, pulling on some clean clothes before venturing downstairs. There was no one around, the servants off in separate rooms, doing their jobs.

"Christine?" He called again. No reply. He headed for the kitchens but a voice said,

"She's gone."

He turned and saw Nadir in the Entrance Hall.

"What do you mean gone?"

"About half an hour ago. She said she had something to do but she didn't want to wake you." Nadir waited for the explosion but, to his surprise, none came. Erik simply stared at him, frowning slightly.

"Erik? Are you… alright?"

"Hmm. Yes. Yes, I know where she's gone. Bring the car around."

* * *

Christine stood and brushed her hair out of her face, wiping away the tears on her cheeks, forcing herself to breathe calmly. 

"Christine?"

She turned and blinked.

"Max… what are you doing here?" He gestured to a grave a little way off.

"My grandfather. Are you…?" His eyes settled on the two graves. Christine hastily rubbed her face, trying to disguise her tears. Max stepped towards her.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah… well, I've been better. This is the first time I've… come to see them." She said weakly. Max frowned.

"It's OK to cry, you know. Everyone does it."

Christine shook her head.

"I've cried enough for today. I just realised how much I miss them." She looked at Max and smiled, although her eyes shone with moisture. Max smiled slightly and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and he said quietly,

"I miss my Grandad too. I know it's not the same but…"

He didn't finish. They stood hugging each other for some time. Eventually Christine stepped back and smiled.

"Thanks Max."

"No problem." He replied and smiled down at her. "You're out early."

"I couldn't sleep. I felt like I had to do this. I don't know why I had to do it now, but…" She ran a hand through her hair and grimaced. "I probably should have showered first."

"Yeah, you do smell a little ripe." Max said, wrinkling his nose with a smile. Christine pushed his arm.

"Well, what are you doing out this early? You barely have your eyes open during rehearsals."

"Couldn't sleep either. So I figured I'd come and give Grandad a visit. I can't say I expected anyone else to be here."

"Neither did I. I wasn't really thinking. I just got up and came straight here." Christine admitted. She looked at her watch.

"I'd better go home. The dog needs walking." She hesitated and then kissed his cheek. "And thanks."

"You're welcome." Max grinned.

Christine turned and they started to walk towards the gates to the cemetery. But she stopped. Walking along the street, away from her, was Erik. She frowned.

"Erik?" He didn't stop. Christine stared after him and Max said,

"What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know. Hang on." She started to run after Erik. He was pulling open the door to the car but she caught his arm before he could get in.

"Erik, wait!"

He looked down at her and she frowned at the expression on his face.

"Erik, what's the matter?" He didn't reply, looking past her. She turned and saw Max standing awkwardly further up the street. She looked back at Erik in dismay.

"Erik, you don't think-"

"Excuse me. I have a busy day." He said coldly, pulling out of her grasp. He slammed the car door shut and pulled away before Christine could move. She stared after him.

"What was all that about?" Max asked. Christine shook her head.

"I… I've got to go. I'll see you on Monday."

* * *

When Christine got home she went to the phone to see if there were any messages. There were none. She frowned and dialled the number for Erik's house. A servant picked up. 

"Hello, is Erik Destler there please?" Christine asked.

"I'm afraid he's out. Would you like me to take a message?"

"Yes, please. Can you tell him that… that Christine called and could he please call back?"

"I will."

"Thank you."

She hung up and stared at the phone. Trister pressed his nose into her hands, seeking attention. She sighed and hugged him.

"I screwed up, Trister. Well and truly." Christine muttered. Trister simply nuzzled her cheek and she sighed, knowing what he wanted. She picked up his leash, clipped it into his collar and they left.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Christine asked Meg as they walked to the cinema that evening. Meg said,

"Nothing. You've left him a message; it's up to him to make the next move. If he doesn't call tomorrow, you'll see him on Monday anyway."

"But-"

"Don't call him!" Meg ordered and Christine glared at her.

"OK, fine. I won't call him."

They headed for the movie theatre to buy tickets. But Christine froze in her tracks and groaned.

"Oh, this _can't_ be happening…"

Ahead of them were Rebecca and Terri, as well as several of their friends. Meg looked at Christine.

"What's up?"

"Girls from the show. Come on, let's just get some seats. Preferably on the other side of the theatre to them."

"Oh, _look_. It's the local whore. Taking a night off from shagging the producer, Christine?" Terri spat. Meg glared at her.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" She asked Christine. Christine shook her head.

"Come on, Meg, let's just go. I suddenly don't feel like watching a movie."

"Are you sure?" Meg asked. Christine nodded and looked distastefully at the girls who were watching them.

"Yeah. Let's go."

As they walked out Christine sighed.

"Now, just to make a bad day worse, I've got a headache."

"Want to go home?"

"Yeah. Want to sleep over?"

"Sure, sounds good. Let's call by my place so I can pick some stuff up." Meg said. She linked arms with her friend. "Don't worry about it, Christine. You're a great person and things are going to work out for you."

"I hope you're right, Meg." Christine said. "I _really_ hope you're right."

**A/N: I'm so mean. Well, I couldn't let them be happy for a WHOLE chapter! That would be ridiculous! Actually, I don't think I really like this chapter. It just seems like too much filler. Oh well… tell me what you think.**

**And, for those of you who don't know, Live 8 is the big music concert for charity, the one that Bob Geldof is organising. It's going to be fantastic - AND I HAVE TICKETS!**

**Yes, I am still at schoo. I had a month off for study leave and now I'm back at school until the end of term, around the 20th July. Wah. **

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	15. Chapter 15: Explanations and Chinese

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Erik didn't call on Sunday. Christine resisted the urge to call him but it became too much. She went to the phone and then paused. There was a note taped to the receiver.

_Don't you DARE call him – Meg_

Christine laughed and turned away from the phone. Music. That was what she needed. To practise. Anything to take her mind off him.

* * *

She drove to the theatre the next day. Her car had arrived the previous week, as good as new. She parked by the doors to the theatre and walked in nervously. Nadir was sat on the stage, reading the morning newspaper. He looked up as she came in and she knew from the look on his face that he knew what had happened.

"Is he here?" She asked.

"In the office with Dr Carter."

"Nadir, it wasn't… I just…"

She sat beside him on the stage and ran her hands agitatedly through her hair.

"I went to visit my parent's grave. I was really upset and Max was there at his grandfather's grave and he hugged me to make me feel better. I kissed him, on the cheek, to say thank you. And then Erik was there and he drove away without letting me explain. Did he say anything to you?"

"No. But I knew something must be wrong, he was in a worse mood than usual." Nadir noted. Christine groaned.

"He can't think that I would do something like that. Spend the night with him and then rush off the next morning to kiss someone else at my parent's grave."

"Erik Destler is an extremely paranoid man, Christine. He's _never_ been as close to someone as he is to you. And he's only known you for two months. Believe me; if you just explain things to him, I'm sure that it will be fine." Nadir said comfortingly.

Christine looked at him.

"Really?" She asked.

"No. But it's worth a try." Nadir said cheerfully, opening his newspaper to the financial section. Christine rolled her eyes and went to the piano to warm up whilst she was waiting for Erik to come out of the office.

He didn't. Max and Tom both arrived and they all warmed up. And when Dr Carter eventually emerged with Erik, he wanted them to run through _Down Once More_ so Christine had no opportunity to talk to Erik before they started. She kept trying to catch his eye but he was clearly not about to talk to her. She moved to her place on the stage, determined to concentrate on the show.

* * *

The scene went reasonably well and by the time the rest of the class had arrived, they had finished. Tom and Max went to speak with Nadir and Christine crossed the room to Erik, who was scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Erik." She said quietly. He looked at her and then back down at his paper.

"Can I help you?" He said in an indifferently cold voice.

"Oh, stop being so _stupid_." She said crossly. He looked at her in surprise. Christine straightened herself.

"Now, are you going to let me explain or are you going to go rushing off without giving me a chance?"

He set down his pen and held her gaze. She began.

"I went to go and see my parents. Obviously you guessed that, because you came to find me. Max was there visiting his grandfather's grave. I was crying and he gave me a hug and I kissed his cheek to say thank you. That's it."

Erik didn't speak. He looked down at the piece of paper and then sighed.

"I just made a fool of myself, didn't I?"

"Yes. You did." Christine told him. Erik lifted his head to look at her. She watched him closely.

"I'm sorry for not trusting you, Christine."

"And for not calling me back."

"And for that." Erik agreed.

"And for blowing this whole thing out of proportion."

"Yes."

"And for-"

"_Christine_." Erik said warningly.

She laughed and hugged him. He put his arms around her, closing his eyes as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

"You're entirely forgiven. Just… let me explain before you go running off next time, OK?" She said quietly. He nodded and reluctantly let her go, his hand sliding down to hers. She smiled.

"Good."

They suddenly realised the entire theatre had gone very quiet. Christine turned and saw everyone watching them. Most people with a smile, although several looked unimpressed. Christine glanced at Erik. He kissed her hand lightly before disappearing into the office. Christine looked around with a dopey smile on her face.

"Meh..." Was all she could come out with, shrugging with a grin. Dr Carter cleared his throat.

"_Masquerade_, please everyone."

Christine moved towards her place and stood with Tom who raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said lightly. Christine pulled a face at him.

"Oh, please. It's not like anyone didn't know."

"I know. But you could try showing a little tact." He said. Christine nodded.

"Probably. We agreed, nothing on the job."

"A good idea. If you can stick to it." Tom said and offered his arm as their cue neared. Christine took it and they set off.

* * *

When they had done the _Masquerade_ scene, Nadir told Kirstie and Christine to run through _Angel of Music_. They took their places on the stage and Nadir stood Max backstage with a microphone.

"_Brava! Brava! Bravissima!_" He sang. Unfortunately the microphone wasn't switched on. Nadir fiddled with the sounding and called,

"Max, try that again."

He did so. This time everyone winced as they were deafened. Nadir fiddled again and then nodded.

"OK, that should work. Let's go."

The orchestra began to play as Christine settled in front of a row of candles. Max sang his line and Kirstie appeared on the edge of the stage. Christine smiled as she spoke of her Angel of Music, standing and walking with Kirstie across the stage as they sang together. Kirstie frowned and pressed a hand to Christine's cheek.

"_Your face, Christine, its white_."

"_It frightens me_." Christine admitted and Kirstie sang, "_Don't be frightened_…" As they walked off into the wings. Nadir nodded as the music faded.

"That was good. Mr Destler, what scene next?"

"_Il Muto_. Miss Griffins, if you would take your place?" Erik said, looking at Rebecca. The props were quickly brought out and they all took their places. As they waited for the music to begin, Christine looked over at Max who was adjusting his microphone. He grinned at her and gave the thumbs up. She smiled back and sipped from her water bottle before standing with Rebecca as the music started. This was perhaps Christine's easiest scene. All she had to do was strut around in a manly fashion and occasionally look surprised. Which she could manage.

The scene went well and Christine had to admit that Rebecca was very good, especially when it came to the croaking part. When they finished Dr Carter applauded enthusiastically.

"That was _excellent_, all of you! Same time tomorrow for a dress rehearsal of the first half." Christine looked across at Rebecca who was drinking thirstily from her water bottle.

"You were really good today." She said. Rebecca looked at her blankly, as if wondering what the hell she was doing, talking to her where anyone could see them before turning away without a word.

Christine sighed and climbed off the stage. Erik, who was stood next to her, looked at her for an explanation. She held up her hands.

"Hey, I tried to start a civil conversation. I did my best."

"It's the thought that counts." He said in a serious tone. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I need to buy some tickets for my aunt, I'll be back in a minute."

Whilst she went to Dr Carter, Erik began to pack sheet music into a case. Nadir appeared beside him and said,

"You've got a meeting in half an hour. We'd better go quickly."

"Very well." Erik said, lifting his case. He waited for Christine to finish and come back for her things before explaining about the meeting. Christine smiled and said,

"Go on. It's not like we have to be joined at the hip, you know. Have fun."

"I very much doubt that fun comes into this." Erik said resignedly as the three of them walked to the exit. Nadir smiled.

"You're probably right, Erik."

"Well you have fun with your meeting and I'll go home and take my dog for a walk. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"May I take you to dinner tonight?" Erik asked, "As an apology."

Christine smiled.

"You may."

"Seven thirty then." He kissed her and turned to leave.

She went to her car as their own vehicle drew up. Nadir opened the door and Erik climbed in after him.

"So you've sorted everything out with Christine?" Nadir asked.

"Why wouldn't we work things out?"

"Because you're ridiculously stubborn." Nadir suggested. Erik glared at him. "No? Well… maybe because you rushed off without letting her explain? Or how about-?"

"Remind me, why do I still employ you?" Erik snapped.

"Because I'm the only person who will put up with your mood swings. Here, some information about the meeting." Erik took the papers from him and glanced through them irritably, well aware that both Nadir and Thompson were trying not to laugh.

* * *

"What happened? Give me details!" Meg said, as Christine opened the door for her. She had only been home for a few minutes when her friend had knocked. Christine smiled.

"Well, he was being ridiculous and I just told him what had happened and he was fine with it."

"Is that all? No passionate kissing, him begging for forgiveness on his knees?" Meg asked, slightly disappointed. Christine laughed.

"No! Anyway, I'm taking Trister. You coming?"

"Sure. But can we swing by the café first? I need caffeine."

As they walked along the streets, pausing occasionally when Trister found an interesting piece of concrete, Meg asked,

"What night can I come and watch you?"

"Well, my family is coming on the last night, the Friday."

"I'll grab tickets for then as well. Want your regular?" Meg said as they reached the café. Christine nodded and stood outside, with Trister sat patiently by her feet.

"Christine?" She turned and smiled.

"Max, Tom. What are you doing here?"

"Coffee. What about you?" Tom smiled. She gestured at Meg who was standing at the counter.

"Taking the dog for a walk with my friend. You know, Tom, she's the one who thinks you're cute."

"Really? Max, I'll buy the coffee."

He darted inside the shop. Christine rolled her eyes and Max grinned, crouching down to rub Trister's head. The dog clearly appreciated the attention and Max laughed. Christine smiled. Max looked up at her.

"I take it you sorted everything out with Mr Destler?"

"Hmm. Once I explained everything to him, he got all embarrassed and apologised profusely." Christine said. She smiled. "Here come Meg and Tom."

The pair emerged from the shop, talking as though they had known each other for ages. Meg had that effect. She handed Christine a cup.

"Here you go. And this must be Max." She smiled brightly at Max who shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Meg."

"Ditto. I was just asking Christine what day I should come to see the show. I'm going on the last night. I expect you all to be perfect by then."

"What a wonderfully supportive person you are." Christine said dryly. Trister tugged on his leash impatiently and Meg said to Max and Tom,

"Want to come for a walk?"

"Sure."

They set off towards the park. Once through the gates Christine unclipped the lead and they walked with Trister running ahead. Meg and Tom were talking cheerfully about the show and Max was talking to Christine about the pointers Nadir had given him in _Masquerade_.

"I mean… I feel like I'm dressed like a pimp in that outfit." He grumbled. Christine laughed and said,

"Well at least you're covered decently. Except for those lovely, half-open shirts."

"True. I've got to say, Tom and I both look very good in those shirts. Don't you think, Tom?" Max called to his friend who grinned.

"Damn right! We are hot."

They high-fived and Christine snorted.

"If you would both _please_ get over yourselves sometime soon…"

"And you get to make out with both of them, you lucky thing." Meg said in a mockingly solemn tone. Christine sighed.

"Yes. Lucky me."

"You love it really." Max said, poking her in the side. She stuck her tongue out at him and Meg giggled.

"God, I can't _wait_ to see this show! You three are going to be hilarious!"

"Yes, the tragic ending just gets everyone giggling." Tom commented. Max laughed.

"You have to admit, Christine, I'm good at the whole sympathy vote thing."

"I'm not admitting to anything. If you can get me to cry, then I'll admit it." Christine said firmly. Max grinned.

"Prepare the tears! Tomorrow in rehearsal, I am going to make you bawl like a baby."

"Good luck. We're doing the first half tomorrow, not the second."

"Oh. Well, when we next do the second half, I'll get you sobbing." Max said confidently. Christine arched an eyebrow.

"I highly doubt that."

"Just you wait." Max said.

"Excuse me for not holding my breath." Christine said and then looked around. "Oh, where is that dog?"

"Behind that tree." Meg said. Christine whistled piercingly.

"Trister! Come on, boy."

The dog came bounding out, tongue lolling as he ran to her heel. She patted his head and they all sat down on the grass in the sunshine to finish their coffee. Trister flopped down in the middle of them, panting, his head in Christine's lap. She absently stroked his soft ears as Tom told Meg about their rehearsal that day.

"OK, so what's your favourite scene?" Meg asked him.

"I don't know… probably the cemetery scene. Max and I get to have a swordfight. That's cool." Tom said. Meg looked at Max.

"What about you?"

"Tough choice… _Music of the Night_ where I get to feel up Christine whilst she's wearing underwear, _Down Once More_ where we get to make out or _The Point of No Return_ where we sing very suggestive lyrics whilst feeling each other up?" Max said, pretending to consider it. Christine glared at him.

"That's it. You are hereby named Pervert of the Production. I'll inform everyone tomorrow."

"I'll help." Tom offered. Max grinned.

"OK, OK. No more pervertedness. But what about Christine? What's your favourite scene?"

Christine thought about it, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"I'm not sure… I love the whole thing."

"Come on, you have to choose one." Tom said. Christine shifted her weight into a more comfortable position and said,

"OK. _The Phantom of the Opera_. Because I love getting that high note just right. It brings real personal satisfaction."

"That's very artistic." Tom said. Meg grinned.

"That's our Christine."

"OK. Well, I'd better get going."

"Already?" Meg said. Christine smiled as she brushed the grass from her jeans.

"I'm going out for dinner tonight and I want a nap beforehand. I'm exhausted."

"Where are you going?" Tom asked. She shrugged as she clipped Trister's leash on.

"No idea. Erik just picks me and takes me to whatever restaurant he feels like. It works well. I'll see you tomorrow."

She headed towards the agate. Max watched her go, almost wistfully. Tom tapped his arm.

"You OK?"

"Yeah. Sure… you just know that feeling when your heart gets trodden into a thousand teeny pieces? Just got it."

Meg looked at him pitifully.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out between you two."

"Yeah, well. She's happy, right?" Max asked her and she nodded.

"Happier than I've seen her for a long time."

"Then that's good." Max said decisively. Meg patted his arm.

"She does like you, you know. As a friend."

"Are you trying to help?" Tom asked her and she shrugged.

"Yeah. Usually Christine tells me when to stop."

"You should have stopped right before 'as a friend'." Max said helpfully.

* * *

When Erik arrived at Christine's house he was prepared to face whatever she might be doing. Whether it be chasing her dog around the house or already ready to go.

What happened was that he rang the doorbell several times before she appeared, bleary-eyed and in a dressing gown.

"Erik? What are you doing here?" She asked. He arched an eyebrow.

"Dinner?"

"What? …Oh my god! I fell asleep… oh, I don't _believe_ it." She moaned, stepping back to let him in. He smiled, pulling a lock of her curly hair and letting it spring back.

"Well… we could stay in." He suggested. Christine smiled.

"That sounds good. Hang on, I'll find some clothes." She turned to go upstairs and then stopped, turned back and kissed him. "And also, hello."

He smirked as she rushed upstairs and sat down in the living room. Trister jumped up onto the sofa beside him and lay across him. Erik awkwardly patted his head and Trister rubbed his face against Erik's shirt. The dark fabric was soon covered in white dog hairs. Erik sighed.

"Down."

Trister didn't move. Erik frowned.

"Down, Trister." No response. Trister simply looked at him. Erik ground his teeth. "Down. As if in, off of my shirt." Trister licked his cheek. Erik wiped the wet patch angrily and looked over his shoulder as he heard Christine snort with laughter. She tugged Trister's collar.

"Come on, Trister. Get off him."

Trister instantly jumped down and sat obediently in his basket. Erik stared.

"How did you do that?"

"Many years of practise." Christine said, sitting beside him. She smiled and reached into the drawer of a table, pulling out a lint roller. "Here, get the dog hairs off." Erik took it gratefully and brushed it over his shirt as Christine stretched.

"I only meant to take a half hour nap before I got dressed. I must have been a lot more tired than I thought."

"It's fine, Christine. It might relax you to spend an evening in." Erik said, handing her the roller. She put it back in the drawer and smiled.

"I think Trister likes you."

"Either that or he's getting revenge for running him over." Erik remarked. She laughed and looked over at Trister who was dozing in his bed.

"Also a possibility. How did your meeting go?"

"It was unbearably dull. The only thing getting me through was the prospect of dinner." Erik smirked. Christine slapped his shoulder.

"Stop making me feel guilty about that! OK, what do you want for dinner?"

"I don't mind." Erik said. Christine considered and then reached for the phone. She dialled a number and was soon ordering Chinese food.

"You do like Chinese don't you?" She asked anxiously.

"Yes."

"Good. Because they don't take back orders." She said, putting the phone back onto the cradle. Erik smirked and cupped her cheek with his hand, drawing her into a kiss. And then he pulled back. Christine blinked.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not entirely comfortable with this." He glanced at Trister who had appeared next to them on the sofa, looking curious. Christine looked from Erik to the dog and burst into giggles. She got to her feet.

"Come on, Trister, let's put you in the kitchen."

After settling the dog into the kitchen with a bowl of dog food, Christine returned to Erik. And kissing. It was just starting to get rather intimate when the doorbell rang. Christine sat up and straightened her shirt, going to the door as Erik composed himself. But it wasn't the Chinese food, as expected. Christine found herself face-to-face with a cheerful looking woman with a toddler in her arms.

"Hey Christine!"

"Hello Marisa. What can I do for you?" Christine asked her neighbour.

"Just wondering whose car is parked down there. Because they left the engine running."

"Oh, right. Erik?"

Erik appeared in the doorway. Christine smiled.

"You left your car running."

"Did I? I'll just be a moment." He went down to the car. Marisa winked at Christine.

"He's hot!"

"And you're married." Christine reminded her with a grin. Marisa smiled sweetly.

"I can dream. I'll see you later."

She disappeared as Erik returned. Christine smiled.

"All done?"

"Indeed. Shall we?" He gestured back to the living room and Christine lifted her eyebrows. But before they made it back, the doorbell rang again.

"That'll be the Chinese." She said, going back to the door. After paying the delivery man, she carried the food to the kitchen, where Erik joined her.

"This is good Chinese." He commented halfway through the meal. Christine nodded and swallowed a mouthful of noodles.

"Yeah, the local Chinese is the best. Of course, having been to China, you'll have had better I suppose."

"You really can't beat the actual local produce." Erik agreed. Christine smiled.

"Well, this is the next best thing." She scooped up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and chewed thoughtfully, considering him. He looked back for a moment and then asked,

"Are you just staring at me for the fun of it?"

"No. I was just wondering how long before you'd get annoyed." She smiled. Erik rolled his eyes.

"Don't you think that's a little immature?"

"Probably. It's entertaining though." She smirked.

Erik lifted his eyebrows and said calmly,

"Couldn't you find another way to entertain yourself?" Christine considered and then smiled.

"No. You'll have to find a way to entertain me." Erik stared at her and then smirked.

"Really Miss Danes."

"Yes Mr Destler?" She asked innocently. Erik reached over, plucked the chopsticks from her hand, dropped them onto the table and kissed her intently.

* * *

Erik looked down at the mop of dark curls falling over his chest as Christine slept with her head on his shoulder. He smiled and ran his finger through the soft hair. Christine looked up with a sleepy smile.

"Did I wake you?" Erik asked softly. She stretched.

"Hmm. But it doesn't matter. What time is it?"

"A little past ten." Erik said, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. She yawned and sat up, pulling the blankets around her. Erik sat too and pressed his lips to her shoulder, planting light kisses along her collarbone. She laughed slightly and wrapped her arms around him.

"I suppose you have to go home." She said quietly. Erik smiled.

"I have some time. But I should get back and let you sleep. We have rehearsals in the morning."

"I don't mind being a little tired." Christine said.

Erik raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I mind my leading lady is yawning her way through the first half."

"Oh, fine. You win." Christine said, pouting. Erik smirked and kissed her.

"Don't sulk."

"I'm not." She said haughtily, climbing out of bed. Erik was treated to a glimpse of her lithe form before she slipped on a dressing gown. She disappeared out of the bedroom, going to the bathroom whilst Erik dressed. When she returned they went downstairs. Christine turned to him.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please." They went to the kitchen and Trister came running over for attention. Christine bent and hugged him.

"Hey! How's my favourite guy?" She made a fuss of the dog and then noticed Erik's amused expression. "What?"

"Your _dog_ is your favourite guy?"

"Sorry Erik, but you just can't beat him. He will always be my favourite." She said. Erik raised his eyebrows and she laughed, putting the kettle on.

The phone rang and Christine said,

"Could you get that? My hands are wet." Erik nodded and lifted the phone.

"Hello, Daae residence." He said.

"Hi, is Christine there?"

"Yes. May I ask who is speaking?" Erik said calmly.

"It's Kirstie, from the show."

"Of course."

He held the phone to Christine who was rubbing her hands with a towel.

"Kirstie Ellison."

"Oh!" She took the phone. "Hi Kirstie."

"Sorry to ring so late, Christine, but it's been bugging me all evening and I had to ask. You know in _Angel of Music_…"

Erik listened to Christine's side of the conversation and, as she hung up the phone, asked,

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Kirstie just forget one of the things we were talking about in the show today and wanted to check something." Christine said, pouring coffee. As they sat at the table with their cups, Erik said,

"If you're yawning through the rehearsal tomorrow, I'm not going to be happy."

"I won't be. I'll just follow Max's example and drink lots of coffee before coming in."

"If that'll keep you awake…"

When he had finished his drink, he stood.

"I should go."

"Do you have to?" Christine asked. Erik nodded, although he could already feel his resolve weakening.

"Yes. I'll see you in the morning." He said firmly, kissing her. She went with him to the door and he kissed her again before going to his car. Christine watched him guy and then closed the door. Trister trotted down the hallway and looked up at her, tail wagging lazily.

"Come on. We'd better get some sleep." Christine said, climbing the stairs, Trister on her heels.

**A/N: OK, I just realised that I won't be able to update tomorrow. And I'd hate to deny you a chapter, so here is tomorrow's one. A day early. My goodness, I spoil you people!**

**Lotsa luv**

**Katie**


	16. Chapter 16: Opening Night

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Sixteen**

On Tuesday, they went through the first half of the performance.

On Wednesday, they went through the second half.

On Thursday, they did the whole thing from beginning to end.

On Friday, Christine got nerves.

She arrived at the theatre and instead of going to warm up, as she usually did, she paced the room, chewing her nails. Erik came out of the office and looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Erik, we're going on tomorrow night."

"Yes." He said, clearly bemused. Christine ceased in her pacing and looked at him in despair.

"You don't understand. We are going on _tomorrow_ night! Erik, I can't do it! I'm going to screw it up and everyone is going to hate me and-"

In a matter of seconds he had crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her. She kissed him back and then pulled away.

"As much as I love kissing you, Erik, that doesn't solve my problem."

"Christine, you don't _have_ a problem. You're just nervous." Erik replied simply. She groaned and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Erik, what am I going to do?"

"You're going to sing and you'll be perfect." Erik said, kissing her forehead. She smiled.

"Again, enjoying the kissing. But-"

"Christine, calm down. Let's warm up." Erik said, releasing her.

She followed to her place by the piano and began to sing the warm up and then started on _Think of Me_. But Erik stopped her.

"Christine, you're too tense. Will you please relax?"

"I'm trying!"

"No, you're not." He said pointedly, looking at her hands. She was twisting them, picking at her nails. She sighed and dropped them to her sides.

"OK. Try again."

It wasn't much better. Erik stood and went to stand behind her. He put a hand on her waist and lifted her chin with the other.

"Sing the first line." He said. She did so, and was surprised to hear that she actually sounded better. He moved the hand from her waist and placed it on her ribcage.

"The first verse."

Again, it sounded much better. He moved closer to her and placed the hand on her chin to her shoulder.

"The whole thing." Christine smiled slightly as she sang. When she had finished she looked up at him.

"OK, how did you do that?"

"Many years of hysterical singers."

"I am _not_ hysterical!"

"Not anymore." Erik smirked. Christine glared at him and said,

"Well, aren't we full of ourselves?"

"Not particularly." Erik said, sitting at the piano. She sat beside him as he began to play, reading through her score and clicking her tongue. Erik looked at her sideways. She looked back.

"What?"

"You're making noises."

"No, I'm not."

"Christine, you have no reason to be nervous. You know the whole show off by heart and you sing perfectly." Erik told her. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands.

"It's just… I don't know."

"You will be fine." He told her softly. She looked up at him.

"You _have_ to say that."

"Christine, surely you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Erik pointed out. She had to agree with that and stood up to sing _Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again_.

Tom and Max arrived. Christine leapt up and ran at them.

"Thank god you're here! We're performing tomorrow night!" She said hysterically. Tom and Max exchanged a glance.

"Yes…" Tom said slowly. Erik sighed.

"Just ignore her. She's being hysterical."

"I am _not_ being hysterical!" Christine objected, realising as she said it that her voice was sliding up to a pitch that only dogs could hear. Tom, Max and Erik all stared at her. She cleared her throat, trying to stop herself from going red. "I'm just… nervous."

"Don't be. You'll rock." Max assured her. She whimpered and Tom patted her on the back.

"Come on. You're pretty much the only one who hasn't screwed up in rehearsals. Max can't get the actions right and I keep laughing."

"Maybe she's saving her mess-ups for the opening night." Max suggested. Christine glared at him and he stepped out of reach hastily. Erik cleared his throat.

"Since we're all here, let's do a warm up and work on _Down Once More_."

* * *

It appeared that Christine wasn't the only one who was getting nervous. Dr Carter was twitching like a rabbit, several dancers tripped up in the choreography and Tracy, the girl playing Madame Giry, kept missing her cues. Eventually Nadir said,

"Everyone, sit down."

They filled the first couple of rows Christine sat between Max and Kirstie. Nadir sat on the edge of the stage and looked at them all.

"I can understand that you are nervous. But you have no reason to be. You have all worked incredibly hard and I, for one, am extremely impressed. Both Mr Destler and I have worked in professional theatre and I can tell you that you are working just as hard, if not harder than professionals. And it shows. So just relax. Because it's going to be amazing."

Everyone smiled at each other and Nadir smiled.

"And I believe Dr Carter also has an announcement." The professor smiled from his spot on the stage and said,

"Yes, I do. I feel that you all deserve a reward for your hard work. So, on the Saturday after the final performance, we will be having a bit of a party at the University dance hall. Refreshments, dancing, everything. It _will_ be a formal event, so dress accordingly. This is a thank you from myself, Mr Khan and Mr Destler for your efforts. So you've got that to look forward to."

The cast and crew all began to talk excitedly. Nadir clapped his hands to get their attention.

"We'll wrap it up for today. I want you all back here promptly at five tomorrow, and everyone with major parts here at four. Curtain rises at seven. We'll see you then."

Everyone split off, chattering. Christine fell back in her seat and looked sideways at Max.

"The final countdown."

"It has begun." Max agreed. He looked at his watch and pulled a face. "I'd better go. Mum wants me back for lunch. I've got family coming down for the opening night."

"I'm lucky, my lot are coming for the final night. I'll see you tomorrow." Christine wandered over to Erik. He smiled at her.

"Calmed down?"

"Yeah. A bit." She said. Erik pushed back a strand of hair from her face.

"It will be amazing." He said softly. Christine smiled and nodded.

"OK. I trust you. I'd better get going. Urgh, and now I'm going to have to find a dress for the party."

"I thought women liked clothes shopping."

"You're stereotyping me again! Sure, I enjoy the occasional shop. But Meg is going to want to come and we'll have to visit every shop in town and it's going to be a nightmare…"

"Then go by yourself." Erik suggested. Christine laughed.

"Good idea. I'll you see you… whenever."

"Tomorrow. Nadir and I are staying behind to sort a few things out with Mark Austin and Dr Carter."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He kissed her and she slipped out into the car park.

* * *

Clothes shopping was a lot easier by herself, she decided as she wandered the shopping centre. Christine paused outside a shop and then went in, sifting through the racks and admiring the many dresses. She turned and bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She said, bending to pick up her bag and then stopped. It was Rebecca. "Sorry Rebecca. I didn't see you." She handed Rebecca's bag to her. She took it, looking at her suspiciously.

Christine hesitated and then smiled, albeit a little awkwardly.

"Looking for a dress for the party?"

"Yes." Rebecca replied guardedly. Christine nodded.

"Same here." They stood in awkward silence and then Christine said quietly, "I wish I could be like you."

"What?" Rebecca said suspiciously.

"You don't look at all nervous about tomorrow. I'm practically tearing my hair out." Christine pointed out. Rebecca shrugged dismissively.

"I don't get nervous easily."

"You're lucky." Christine said. Rebecca blinked and shrugged again.

"I'm going to… dress." She said, gesturing at the racks. Christine nodded and smiled briefly.

"Me too. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rebecca nodded and disappeared. Christine turned back to the dresses, feeling rather triumphant. A whole civil conversation with Rebecca. A major milestone in her books.

* * *

It didn't take long for her to find a dress. After paying for it, she went to the food shop and picked up some things for dinner. She drove home and opened the door to find Trister chewing on an envelope.

"Oh, you little pest!" She cried, snatching the torn paper from him. He hurried off to his basket and Christine could have sworn that there was a guilty expression his face. He'd eaten post when he was a puppy, but she thought he'd grown out of it. Trister hated the postman and therefore, by dog logic anyway, thought it suitable to eat the post he delivered.

Christine dumped her bags in the kitchen and tore open the envelope. It was from Michael Greeth, her lawyer. He wrote every few months. He had been quite close to her parents and felt it a personal duty to check up on her, despite the fact that she was twenty-one and perfectly capable. Still, it was nice to know that he cared.

Christine tucked the envelope onto the mantelpiece, making a mental note to reply as soon as she had the time. Trister watched her warily, expecting punishment. She sighed, sitting on the sofa.

"You're a pain, Trister. You know that?" He cautiously climbed out of his bed and nudged her hands with his nose. She smiled and stroked his head.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk."

* * *

When she returned from the walk, she put her dinner in the oven and sat on the kitchen counter, reading through her score. Trister came sniffing around for his own dinner and Christine hummed _Angel of Music_ to herself as she opened a tin of dog food for him. The doorbell rang and she went to answer it.

Meg grinned at her.

"Hey Christine! Busy?"

"No, just relaxing before tomorrow." Christine said, stepping back. "Staying for dinner?"

"Sure. So, are you nervous?"

"I'm better than I was this morning. I was a wreck."

"Aw, why? You'll be great." Meg said. And then her eyes narrowed. She pointed accusingly at the bag containing Christine's dress.

"You went clothes shopping without me! How _could_ you?"

Christine rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Sorry. But I wanted to get a dress quickly." She retook her seat on the counter, opening her score again. Meg sat at the table and smiled.

"Christine, you already know it. Why are you reading through it again?"

"Just to make sure. I can't mess this up."

"You won't." Meg said confidently. Christine closed her score and smiled at her.

"I'm glad everyone else has so much confidence in me."

"Because you're an awesome singer and you're going to blow them away. You're going to stand on that stage and sing your little heart out and everyone's jaws are going to fall open in amazement." Meg said.

Christine couldn't help grinning.

"You're the best, Meg."

"Yeah, I know. What's for dinner?"

* * *

Christine woke early and found she couldn't get back to sleep.

_This is it Christine. You're going to sing tonight and you're going to be amazing. For Mum, for Dad and for Erik._

She climbed out bed. Trister looked up, decided it was too early and curled back up. Christine smiled at him before heading for the shower. Standing underneath the warm spray of water, she rubbed shampoo into her curly locks and stood, letting the water run over her. It was very relaxing. She rinsed her hair and wrapped a towel around it, stepping out of the shower.

It was another very hot day. She dressed in a knee-length denim skirt and pulled on a sun top, drying her hair so it fell in loose curls rather than frizzing before going downstairs for breakfast. She turned on the local station to hear the news. There had been a car crash causing traffic, the mayor was attending a ceremony at the local hospital and then the newsreader said,

"_And for all those who love the theatre, be sure to drop by the local university and get your hands on some tickets for _The Phantom of the Opera. _I was speaking to some people at the university yesterday and nearly every performance is sold out, but there are a few tickets left, so hurry! That's all for now, we'll be back in an hour_." A song began to play and Christine smiled. Sold out? That was incredible! The tickets had only been on sale for a week!

She fixed herself some cornflakes and a cup of tea, putting down some milk and a dog biscuit for Trister who came lazily downstairs, stretching. Christine ate quickly and then looked at the animal.

"Want a walk?" His ears pricked up and she smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. Come on then."

They walked through the park swiftly. Christine waved as she saw her neighbour Marisa and her young daughter by the swings and went to say hello.

"Hey Christine."

"Hi Marisa. Hello Paula." Christine said, smiling at the toddler who was playing with Trister.

"Got tickets for Tuesday night." Marisa winked and Christine groaned.

"How did you find out?"

"You were in the paper and on local news, Christine. Jack and I are looking forward to it!" Marisa smiled. Christine rolled her eyes.

"If I survive tonight, then you can start looking forward to it."

"I can't wait. Come on Paula, let's go on the seesaw."

Christine circled the park a couple of times before returning home. She had until four but went straight to the music room to start practising. She had to be perfect for this. She played the warm up, singing until her voice felt good and then started on _Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again_.

A thought struck her. She sat at the piano for a moment before jumping up and going out to her car. After a quick call at the shops for a bouquet of flowers, she drove to the cemetery. Christine made her way to her parent's graves. She had been making regular visits now. She had overcome her initial fear. It still wasn't _fun_ but she could do it now.

"Hey guys. Well, tonight's the night. I'm going to make you proud." She said, laying the flowers between the two graves. She paused, twisting a blade of grass around her finger.

"I think it's going to be good. Tom and Max and everyone are great. And I'm going to do my best. I'm not going to be nervous. I'm going to do it better than ever. For you. And for Erik."

Christine looked from one grave to the other and smiled faintly.

"I hope you're proud of me. And I wish you were going to be there tonight. I think you'd like it. It's not as good as yours was. But I think you'd like it." She sat for a few minutes in contemplative silence and then stood, brushing her knees clean.

"I'll come and see you tomorrow, to tell you how it went. Wish me luck!"

* * *

When Christine got to the theatre it was quarter to four. She met Max and Tom sat on the steps outside, basking in the sunlight.

"Hey guys. Aren't you going in yet?"

"Just working up to it." Max said lazily. Christine rolled her eyes and stepped past them. She walked along to the theatre, fiddling with the strap of her bag. She opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks.

The theatre was bustling with lighting people, prop designers and orchestra members. She blinked and stared around. The theatre looked _amazing_. And there, hanging above the space between the front row of seats and the front of the stage was an amazing replica of a chandelier. Someone caught her arm and she looked around to see Dr Carter.

"Christine, excellent! Get along to the costume room, June is waiting for you."

"OK…" Christine said dumbly. June pulled her through the door to costume room as soon as she arrived.

"Get your dancing outfit on and I'll do your make-up. Get a move on! The rest of your costumes are lined up in here in order, so you can change easily. Go!"

As Christine was changing she heard Max and Tom come in and were pushed into their separate dressing room. When she emerged Kirstie had arrived and was wearing the dancing outfit. She smiled at Christine.

"Excited?"

"Of course!"

"Christine, I'm putting your _Think of Me_ costume by the stage." June said. This dress had been especially designed to slip straight over the thin dancing costume. During the interlude after the second verse, the dancers would run across the stage, pulling decorated screens, so when they left the stage again Christine would be revealed in her gala costume.

Rebecca arrived a few minutes later and hurried into the dressing room as Tracy, or Madame Giry, quickly tugged on her black dress. Max and Tom were in the next room with the other male leads, with June hurrying back and forward.

"Girls, get dressed. I'll be back in a moment. I need to get Max's deformity done." She said in a harassed voice. Christine sat in her chair and began to pin her hair back. She heard an irritated grunt and saw Rebecca struggling to do her costume up.

"Need some help?" She asked. Rebecca nodded and Christine rose to fasten the dress.

"Thanks." Rebecca said.

"No problem." Christine smiled. There was a rap on the door and Nadir's voice called,

"Girls, warm up starts in fifteen minutes!"

"OK, Mr Khan!" Tracy called, Kirstie plaiting her hair. Rebecca was pulling on her shoes and Christine searched around for microphone, clipping it onto her neckline.

There was another knock.

"Flower delivery." A voice shouted. The girls all looked at each other and Tracy pulled open the door. Four delivery boys came in, each sporting a bouquet, presenting one to each of the girls. Kirstie read the card.

"For our leading ladies – Dr Carter, Mr Khan and Mr Destler."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Tracy cried. Christine smiled and placed her flowers on a table. June burst in a few moments later.

"OK, Rebecca, you first, you've got the most make-up for the beginning." She said, sitting Rebecca down. Christine and Kirstie quickly applied their own make-up, as they only needed a little for the first scene. Tracy pinned her hair up into an elaborate bun. Another knock sounded and Tom poked his head in.

"Christine, Mr Destler wants us."

"I'm coming." Christine said, rushing out. Tom and Max were waiting in the hallway, Max with his mask firmly over his face. Christine smiled.

"Can I see?"

"Nope. Mr Destler has given firm orders. You're not to see it until _The Point of No Return_. He wants a real reaction to it."

Christine pulled a face and hurried with them to the small studio. Erik was pacing the room and looked up sharply as they entered.

"Warm ups. Quickly, the others will be here soon. The extras are going in the big studio."

They all warmed up. Since Christine had been practising that morning she was already warmed up, but it was comforting to stick with what they had been doing up until now. When they had run through a couple of songs, Erik folded his arms and looked at the three of them. They waited nervously for his verdict. Eventually he gave a faint smile.

"You're going to be good. Very good." They grinned at each other and joined together in a group hug. Max smiled at them both.

"You guys are the best. This would have been so much harder if you weren't so cool."

"You're cool too." Christine smiled. He winked and reached into his pocket.

"And look. Breath mints."

Christine burst out laughing and accepted one, as did Tom. The door opened and Bill and Neil, or rather André and Firmin entered, followed by Jim as Joseph Buqet, Colin as Monsieur Reyer, Rebecca, Tracy, Kirstie, Ewan as Piangi as well as Nadir. Dr Carter was in the big studio warming up the extras. The main characters gathered around Erik who ran them through warm-ups and then had them all sing _Masquerade_, _Prima Donna_ and _Hannibal _several times. Nadir smiled around at them.

"Excellent. Everyone excited?"

"No duh!" Someone called out and they all laughed. Christine twisted her hands in excitement. The nerves were back but now they were excited ones.

"Well, Mr Destler wants to say a few words." Nadir said and they all went quiet, looking eagerly at the masked man.

Erik looked around at them all and said in a calm voice,

"I am impressed. _Very_ impressed. And, as a few of you will know, it takes a lot to impress me. It's been a long time since I've worked with anyone who has shown as much dedication as you have. I wouldn't be surprised if most of you ended up in theatre work. I will certainly put in a good word for anyone who would want to follow that line of work. And all I have to say is congratulations. I'm not going to wish you luck or tell you to break a leg. Because superstitions never did anyone any good. You've worked hard for this and it is that hard work that is going to pay off. So go out there and give it your all because that is all that it will take."

Everyone applauded and cheered. Erik smiled.

"Let the audience in. Let our opera begin." Nadir laughed and grinned at them all.

"OK. Ten minutes of relaxation and then I went you in your places. Off you go." Everyone trekked out until Christine and Erik were left alone. She smiled and he returned it. Then she said sweetly,

"I know its all superstition and everything, but you can kiss me good luck, if you want." Erik smirked and pulled her into his arms.

When she left the room ten minutes later Christine felt very relaxed and ready to perform.

* * *

Christine stood backstage with Kirstie as the pale lights came on. The auctioneer, buyers and Tom, covered in a blanket and with a grey wig over his head were waiting on stage for the curtains to open. Christine looked around and saw Max waiting on the opposite side of the stage, in the wings. She smiled at him and he grinned back, giving her a thumbs up. She returned it and squeezed Kirstie's hand as a round of applause sounded. Dr Carter stood in front of the scarlet curtains, and they heard him say,

"Ladies and Gentleman. Welcome to the University Theatre. I know we're all eager for the show to begin, so speech-making can wait until the end. I give you – _The Phantom of the Opera_!"

Applause sounded again and the curtains began to open. Christine felt as if her heart would simply burst out her chest with excitement. The soft music of the prologue began. Christine watched, grinning fit to burst as the auctioneer reached for the switch.

"Perhaps we can frighten away the ghosts of so many years ago with a little…. illumination." He pulled down the switch. There was a bang, a shower of sparks and the stage filled with light as the powerful tune of the _Overture_ began to play as the gorgeous chandelier lifted into the air. The orchestra were really giving it all they had. The performers flooded onto the stage, dancing, jumping, performing acrobatic stunts, the music blaring around them. Even over the noise, Christine could hear the delighted gasps of the audience and she smiled as she danced beside Kirstie.

Side-by-side the girls span and leapt and danced with the other dancers. And then the song ended and the sound of Rebecca's voice filled the theatre with an extravagant tone. Christine fell into place and danced the steps they had practised so many times.

And then André and Firmin came in and they introduced Raoul. Christine, stood at the front right of the stage clutched Kirstie's hand and said clearly so her voice echoed around the room.

"It's Raoul!"

After the short scene they returned to dancing. And then it was Carlotta's tantrum, her singing of _Think of Me_, the falling of the screen (painfully reminding Christine of her own near miss with falling equipment) and then Tracy said the words that made Christine's heart jump into her mouth.

"Christine Daae could sing it, sir."

"A chorus girl? Don't be silly." André said dismissively. After a few words of persuasion from Madame Giry, André nodded.

"Very well. Come on. Don't be shy."

It wasn't hard for Christine to pretend she was nervous as she stepped forward. She could feel herself shaking slightly. The music began; she took a deep breath and began to sing.

_Think of me_

_Think of me fondly_

_When we've said goodbye_

She felt a smile cover her face as she sang, feeling the euphoric sensation that only song could bring to her. The interlude began and she stepped back. The screen came forward, crisscrossing around her as she tugged the dress on, June ran out and snapped decorations into her hair and ran backstage as the screens cleared. The audience gasped as Christine was revealed, as if by magic, in a completely different costume.

_We never said_

_Our love was evergreen_

_Or as unchanging as the sea_

_But if you can still remember_

_Stop and think of me_

Christine gazed out into the audience singing joyfully and then sang a high note, falling silent as the music swelled and Tom, in the constructed Box 5 on the far right of the stage sang,

"_Can it be? Can it be Christine_?"

And finally came the cadenza. Christine straightened herself and opened her mouth, praying that she would sing well.

She didn't sing well. She sang _perfectly_. The notes came so easily she could have been singing them her whole life. The curtains fell closed to rapturous applause whilst the crew quickly changed the scenery. Christine settled in front of the candles for _Angel of Music_.

It went perfectly, Kirstie doing her part wonderfully. Then came _Little Lotte_ and _The Mirror_. As Max's voice boomed around the theatre, Christine looked around in amazement and fear. And then he appeared as if by magic in the mirror. She didn't hesitate but gave her hand to him.

The next part had been a piece of ingenuity on Erik's behalf. Instead of singing onstage, Max and Christine raced around the outside of the room to enter at the back, whilst the audience were waiting for them to appear on the stage. Max took her hand, holding a flaming torch and Christine began to sing. As the first few notes left her lips, the whole audience turned in amazement to see the two stars walking down the centre aisle.

This was what Christine was most scared of. These final notes that she had practised so many times. Practise was all very well but here, in front of a real audience, would she be able to pull it off? She and Max split to climb the steps at opposite ends of the stage, meeting again in the centre as the red curtains drew back to reveal the phantom's lair. Max placed a hand on Christine's ribcages and cried,

"_Sing, my angel of music_!"

And Christine began to sing. She closed her eyes and thought of Erik. Remembered that wonderful sensation that only he could bring to her, the longing to sing for the whole world to hear what she could do. The notes slid easily from her throat, as if they had been waiting for her to start singing simply so they could float from her.

_Music of the Night_ passed and so did _Magical Lasso_. Christine became overwhelmed with curiosity at what Max's make-up looked like. During _I Remember_ she tried to sneak a look but Max threw her down so quickly, she almost forgot that she was acting, as if she really had been faced with the Phantom.

The first half ended after _All I Ask Of You (Reprise)_ and thunderous applause sounded as the curtains closed.

"Fifteen minutes for costume changes and then back in place!" Nadir shouted. Christine hurried to the dressing room, where the three other girls were gulping water and talking excitedly.

"Christine, you were brilliant!" Kirstie cried, hugging her. Christine laughed, wiping the perspiration from her brow.

"Thanks Kirstie. God, it's so hot." She seized a cup of water and drank thirstily before going to put on her _Masquerade_ dress. She paused as Rebecca looked up and offered her a smile.

"Well done Rebecca. You were fantastic." Rebecca blinked and then returned the smile.

"You too."

Christine dressed, let June do her make-up and then went back to her place. Tom was waiting for her. He grinned.

"Good first half, Christine."

"You too. Isn't it brilliant?"

"It sure is. Ready for the second half?" He asked and she nodded determinedly.

"Absolutely."

They stood to one side to let the dancers out onto the stage where they shifted around before standing perfectly still, like statues. There was rush of chatter as the audience came back in and took their seats. The theatres lights dimmed and a second before the curtains began to open, the music for _Masquerade_ began to play.

The songs went perfectly for the rest of the half, the crowd thoroughly enjoying the swordfight between the Phantom and Raoul, but Christine was eager to reach _The Point of No Return_. After singing her one line from _Don Juan Triumphant_ she sat on the step, turning over the rose in her hands. And then she looked up in fear and wonder as Max's voice sounded.

Max was in his element tonight and he looked incredible in his costume. They carried out their choreography, climbing the twisting stairs in perfect synchronism. They crossed to each other over the bridge, Max twirling Christine and pressing her to him, running his fingertips down her neck. And then he began to sing _All I Ask Of You_.

Christine turned to stare at him as he sang, pressing a hand to his cheek. This was it, what she had been waiting for all evening.

"_Christine! That's all I ask of_-" Max sang and Christine pulled the mask from him. She couldn't help releasing a gasp, as several members of the cast screamed. They were supposed to, of course, but Christine couldn't help but wonder if they were just as shocked as she was.

The normally smooth skin of Max's face had been covered with a rubbery mask, pulled and twisted into a tormented skull-like horror. It had been painted with reds and dull skin colours, with hints of blue and black veins. But before Christine could do anything more then gasp, Max seized her, cutting the rope as the music flared up again. Chaos reined over the stage as Christine and the Phantom swung from the bridge and vanished. As the stage cleared, Max pulled Christine once more down the centre aisle as the scenery was changed, spitting out the words to _Down Once More_.

The curtains fell briefly to have a short scene between Raoul and Madame Giry in front of the stage. During that time, Christine quickly pulled on the wedding dress, letting her hair full free as Max took his place. He nodded to her as the curtain rose again. Christine put on a haughty expression and sang

"_Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?_

_Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?_"

Max rose from his seat to sing. Christine couldn't help feeling a pang of pity for the Phantom but turned away as Max pushed the veil onto her dark curls. She stepped past and pulled away curtains to reveal the mirrors, reflecting the hideousness of the deformity.

Tom came in right on time and three of them launched into their hardest song. And, to each of their delight, they did it without a single flaw. Tom clutched at the rope around his neck as he sang, reaching out a hand towards Christine. The tears that fell down her cheeks were not for display only. That was how much the song was affecting her, how she felt at that moment, as though she really did have to choose between Raoul and the Phantom.

She looked down at the ring in her hand and stepped slowly towards Max.

"_Pitiful creature of darkness_

_What kind of life have you known?_

_God give me courage to show you_

_You are not alone!_"

She slipped the ring onto her finger and lifted herself to kiss Max. A collective sigh went up from the audience. She pulled back and looked at Max. He was weeping silently, his shoulders shaking. Christine moved to kiss him again, pressing her lips earnestly to his. The music began to fade and she pulled away for a second time, her hand on his deformed cheek.

The chant of the mob sounded faintly through the hall. Max staggered back from Christine, clutching at his face. And then he sobbed,

"_Take her_

_Forgive me_

_Forget all of this_."

He continued to sing. Christine rushed to Tom, taking the rope from around his neck and embracing him. As Max cried, "_Go now! Go now and leave me!_" They hurried from the stage as he sank to his knees next to the musical monkey box.

Max stared forlornly at the music box, singing gently. And then Christine was beside him. He looked at her with tears running down his face.

"_Christine, I love you_…"

Christine swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed the ring to his hand before stepping from the stage and down the centre aisle to where Tom stood waiting. They moved slowly up the aisle, singing _All I Ask Of You_ as they went.

They stood in the room outside the Entrance Hall with the rest of the main cast and Christine heard Max cry the final words, "_It's over now, the music of the night_!"

The music swelled and then faded. And suddenly Max was beside them in the entrance hall, panting. Christine smiled but before they could speak the music stopped and Nadir's voice sounded through a microphone. One by one he announced the cast members and they slipped through the door, marching down the centre aisle to enthusiastic applause and cheers. Rebecca was called, leaving Tom, Christine and Max together.

"And finally, I give you the three stars. Tom Sutherland as Raoul de Chagny, Max Hodges as The Phantom and Christine Danes as Christine Daae!"

There was an enormous cheer and the three moved down the centre aisle, Christine in the centre, clutching each of their hands. They walked up onto the stage with the rest of the cast and bowed. By the time the applause stopped, Christine realised that there were tears on her cheeks. But she didn't brush them away. She simply smiled in delight at the reaction of the audience. And then the curtains fell for the final time that night and the cast all gave a cheer, hugging each other, jumping up and down and generally being excitable.

Christine hugged Max and Tom and then turned to see Erik standing just outside the little crowd around them. She pushed her way through and when she reached Erik, he showed none of the restraint or modesty he had thus far in public. Instead he pulled Christine to him and kissed her so passionately he only released her when the wolf whistles started. Christine smiled up at him and then flung her arms around his neck.

"We did it, Erik! We did it!" He smiled, hugging her tightly. When he put her down Max called to everyone,

"So… what do you want to do tomorrow night?" They laughed and several people slapped him on the back. Erik bent his head and murmured,

"Go and get changed. _Quickly_."

She raised an eyebrow and hurried off to the dressing room, where she was greeted with more squeals of delight from her fellow cast members. She simply congratulated them all and then changed hastily into her normal clothes.

Erik was waiting in the crowded entrance hall, where family members and other members of the audience were waiting for their friends and family. Christine was instantly engulfed by a group of students at the university, asking her to sign their programmes and congratulating her on the show. Thankfully Erik intervened, taking her arm and pulling her out of the disappointed crowd. But they were accosted by Max who tapped Christine's shoulder.

"Hold on a second. Christine, these are my parents. Mum, Dad, this is Christine Danes."

"You were incredible! It was so professional!" Max's mother said, smiling. Christine grinned.

"Thanks Mrs Hodges. I was so scared!"

"Don't know why, you were great." Max said, poking her in the ribs. She laughed and then hugged him.

"I'll see you tomorrow Max. I've got to go."

"OK, bye." Christine caught Erik's hand and they escaped once more into the throng.

Erik led her outside, where the cool night air washed over her refreshingly. The car was waiting for them and Christine couldn't help smirking.

"Your place or mine?"

**A/N: Finally! Opening night! I'm quite pleased with this chapter, even if a lot of it was just the show. Hope you liked it too.**

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie **


	17. Chapter 17: A Proposition

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Seventeen**

"That was just… I mean… _wow_." Christine said, walking around Erik's living room with a glass in one hand and a smile on her face. "I can't believe how well it went! And we didn't mess up once. And everyone liked it and it was so much fun!"

Erik watched in amusement from his chair as she chattered like a schoolgirl. Eventually she sank into an armchair lying across it so her head was on one arm and her legs draped across the other. She grinned up at the ceiling. Erik smiled.

"Are you quite done?"

"Yeah."

"Good." She looked over at him and stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, come on. You try and tell me that you've never felt this great!"

"I would, but it would be a lie." Erik admitted. She stretched and swung her legs around so she was sitting straight. Erik smiled at her lazy happiness.

"And I didn't hear you complain once about the costumes. Bravo."

"Stop being so sarcastic." She told him, not sounding like she meant it for a second. Erik lifted his eyebrow as he sipped his wine and then set the glass down.

"And you get to do it all over again for the next six nights."

"I know… ah!" She squealed, jumping up, crossing the room, sinking to her knees and hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much for giving me the part!"

Erik laughed and lifted her face to his.

"You're welcome." He said, kissing her. She smiled, resting against the arm of his chair and looked at him with large brown eyes. Erik had to admit, if there were any part of her that he adored most, it would be her eyes. They captured light and danced and showed everything in her soul and in her heart. So caught up was he, in thinking about her eyes, that he didn't even notice that she'd asked a question and was waiting for a reply.

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked if you were going to go back to doing actual theatre work after this. I know working with a group of immature students can't be very fun for you."

"Perhaps. If the chance comes my way, I'm sure I'll take it." He admitted. Christine smiled.

"Oh, you'd better. You're getting on, you know, Erik. Your youth is fading."

Erik looked at her and she smiled sweetly. He couldn't help smiling back.

"You're very rude, Christine Danes."

"Maybe."

"Definitely." Erik told her, kissing her again. She put her arms around him, drawing herself up to him. He looked down at her and said seriously,

"You were perfect tonight." She smiled happily, pressing her face into his neck.

"Yours is the only opinion I really care about." She admitted. Erik stroked the soft curls of her hair and said quietly,

"You could have chosen Max Hodges. I still don't understand why you didn't. He's closer to your own age; you have a lot in common and…" His voice trailed away.

Christine looked at him, her eyes fixed on his. She shrugged and said in a careless, isn't-it-obvious tone,

"I couldn't have chosen Max."

"Why not?"

"Because. I already love you. And besides, he could never make me sing like you do." She said. Erik smiled.

"Is that why you stay?"

"Yup. And also…" She looked around, as though checking to make sure that no one else was listening and leant in to whisper to him. Erik leant forward, bemused. "Also… I'm not sure I should tell you this, since it'll probably just make you really full of yourself…"

"Why not risk it?" Erik smirked. Christine smiled and whispered conspiratorially,

"Also… you're _really_ hot."

Erik stared at her blankly. She burst into giggles at his reaction and settled back on her knees. But Erik caught her and pulled her back, capturing her mouth in a kiss. There came a knock at the door and Christine settled onto a chair as Erik called,

"Yes?"

The door opened and Nadir's head peered around. He smiled.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were here, Christine." But she jumped up, ran across the room and hugged him.

"Oh my God, Nadir, did you see it? It was so great! It was so fun and everyone was really good and I didn't screw up!"

"Has she been like this since you left the theatre?" Nadir asked Erik who nodded. Christine hugged Nadir again tightly and Erik cleared his throat. She pulled a face at him.

"You've had plenty of hugs, now its Nadir's turn."

Nadir hugged her quickly and then turned to Erik.

"We've got the theatre from twelve onwards."

"Excellent. Care for some wine?" He gestured towards the open bottle and Nadir poured himself some as he and Christine sat down.

"You really were very good tonight, Christine." Nadir commented with a smile. Christine grinned widely, squeezing Erik's hand.

"Everyone was. Oh, I'm so excited! I can't wait until tomorrow night!"

"Well, you'll have to." Erik told her. She smiled and drank some of her wine. Erik looked at Nadir.

"We're going to have to have more programmes made."

"I put in an order after the show tonight. We can keep some spare if all else fails. Did you all get the flowers?" Nadir said, looking at Christine. She smiled.

"Yes. Whose idea was that?"

"Nadir's." Erik smirked. She smiled at the embarrassed man.

"We all loved them."

"Glad to hear it." Nadir said. He looked at his watch. "Well, I'm going to turn in. Big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight." They said as he drained his wineglass and disappeared.

Erik looked at Christine.

"We should try and get some sleep as well."

"I suppose you're right." Christine replied, finishing her wine. She looked across at Erik and smiled slightly.

"I mean it, Erik. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome." He said quietly and held out his hand to help her to her feet. She stood and hugged him. He rested his head on her dark curls and then said,

"Bed?"

"Hmm. I'm a little sleepy." She admitted. Erik smirked.

"I'm not surprised. Running around a room shrieking for an hour will do that to a person."

"I was not shrieking. I was simply expressing myself in a cheerful manner." Christine said haughtily. Erik couldn't help laughing at her pride.

"To bed. I'm tired as well."

"And I need to get home fairly early tomorrow. Trister's by himself." Christine said as they went to the door. They began to head up the stairs and Erik asked,

"Christine, may I ask you a question?"

"You may."

"If you had to choose between me and Trister, who would you choose?"

"Trister, of course." She grinned.

"Right. Just checking." He said, amiably.

* * *

"_The Bridge is crossed! So stand and watch it burn… we're past the point of no return…_" Christine and Max sang, Max standing behind her, his hands over hers.

The music played and slowly changed to the tune of _All I Ask Of You_. Christine had her eyes closed and Max began to sing quietly. She opened her eyes and turned to face him, lifting her hand to touch his cheek.

"_Christine_! _That's all I ask of-_"

Right on cue, she pulled off the mask. And then she screamed. Because it wasn't Max and his prosthetic face underneath, it was Erik and he was staring at her in horror, and everyone was screaming and pointing at him and she had done it to him. And he didn't speak a word, but his eyes were boring into hers, saying _Why, Christine? Why have you done this to me?_

Christine woke with a gasp. She sat up sharply, perspiration on her face, sticking strands of dark hair to her skin. She pushed it back, breathing heavily and jumped as Erik sat up too.

"Christine? What's wrong?"

"Nothing… nothing, it was just a bad dream." She said and she realised that she was shivering. Erik frowned and brushed her hair back to rest his head on her shoulder, his arms slipping around her.

"What was it?"

"I don't remember." She said in a not-very-convincing voice. Erik looked rather cynical and she rubbed her face with one hand.

"I was… I was performing onstage, with Max… we were doing _The Point of No Return_. And he began to sing _All I Ask Of You_ and I pulled the mask off and… and it wasn't Max underneath." She whispered. Erik kissed her shoulder softly, comfortingly.

"Who was it?" He asked gently.

"…You. It was you." She said, her voice choking. Erik lifted his head to look at her but she couldn't meet his eyes, tears blurring her vision. "Oh God, Erik, and you were looking at me and everyone was screaming and you looked like you hated me and you couldn't understand why I'd do that to you…"

Emotion overcame her and she lifted her hands to her mouth to smother the rising sob. Erik turned her face towards him and pressed a kiss to her cold, damp forehead, holding her tightly.

"Don't cry. It was just a dream." He said quietly, kissing her gently. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"It was so _real_…" She sobbed.

"Christine… if you had known that it was me, would you ever have taken the mask off?" Erik asked and she shook her head vehemently.

"No!"

"So don't worry about it anymore. It was just a dream." Erik said soothingly. Christine nodded and they lay back down. Erik drifted off quite quickly, but Christine lay awake for some time.

* * *

Nadir joined them for breakfast and said,

"Christine, we'll drop you off at home and then we need to get to the theatre to set up for tonight. Is that alright?"

Christine didn't reply. She was picking silently at her toast. Nadir glanced at Erik who reached across and took her hand.

"Christine?"

"Hmm?" She looked up and then blinked. "Oh, sorry."

"I'll go and have the car brought around." Nadir said, rising. Erik waited until he was gone and then looked at Christine.

"Stop thinking about it."

"I can't help it." Christine mumbled. She dropped her toast into her plate and looked at him. "You think I'm being stupid."

"No. You're just… upset. It's understandable."

"No, I'm being stupid. I know it as well." Christine said frankly. She sighed and shook her head. "OK. I'm going to just forget about it. I need to get into show mode."

Erik smiled.

"That's a good attitude."

"I do my best. OK, I'm going to go home, walk Trister, relax for a bit and then get to the theatre and make it even better than last night!" She said firmly.

"And perhaps you'll even manage to stop squealing afterwards."

"Let's not push it." She smiled.

* * *

Trister was sleeping on the sofa when she got back. Despite many attempts to train him not to jump on the furniture, he'd remained stubbornly disobedient. Christine wasn't that bothered though. He leapt off and went to greet her as she came in. She dropped to her knees and he rubbed his head against her.

"Hey Trister. Aw, I've been neglecting you, haven't I?"

There was a beep and she realised that there was a message on the answer phone. She played it.

"_Hello Christine, its Trisha. Just wanted to hear how the opening night went! Call me back_."

Christine let Trister into the back garden as she dialled.

"Hello?" Trisha answered.

"It's Christine."

"Oh, hi! How did it go?" Trisha said cheerfully. Christine smiled.

"It was _fantastic_! Everyone was perfect and we didn't mess up at all. Everyone loved it."

"Oh, I just can't wait to see it! The girls are excited too. I called last night, that's when I left the message, but I suppose you were out celebrating?" Trisha teased. Christine lifted her eyebrows.

"Something like that. Anyway, I've got your tickets. Great seats, quite near the front."

"Wonderful. We'll drive over on the Friday. What time to you have to get to the theatre?"

"I have to be there at four but it starts at seven. Hey, do you remember Mark Austin?"

"I think so… wasn't he in the orchestra at your parent's theatre?"

"That's the guy. He's our conductor."

"You're joking? What a small world!" Trisha said.

Christine laughed and looked at her watch.

"Trisha, I've got to go. Trister hasn't been walked, I only just got in."

"Where on earth have you been?" Oops. She hadn't meant to say that. Christine winced.

"I was… with a friend."

"A… male friend?" Trisha asked innocently. Christine could have kicked herself.

"Well… yes."

"Oh really? Who is it? Someone in the show?"

"Hmm. It's, um… It's Erik Destler."

Silence. Christine wondered if her aunt had passed out and silently apologised to Melanie and Kelly for leaving them motherless. Then Trisha said,

"Oh… well… he was very nice."

"He is. We've been going out for a few weeks now. Are you going to give me a lecture?" Christine asked. Trisha laughed slightly.

"No, dear, I won't inflict that on you. I trust you to make your own decisions."

"Thanks Trisha. OK, the dog looks like he's going to explode. I'd better talk him."

"OK, sweetie. I'll see you on Friday."

* * *

Erik stood in the theatre and called to a stagehand to move a prop slightly to the left. Attention to detail was vitally important. He had picked that up a long time ago and it hadn't failed him yet,

"Erik Destler?"

He turned and was confronted by a man in an expensive looking suit and an American accent. He shook Erik's hand.

"Phil Connelly. The New York Opera House."

"Of course." Erik said. Phil smiled.

"I saw the performance last night. I'm highly impressed. You've done some astounding work here."

"I can't take all of the credit. I wasn't the one performing."

"No, but to take a group of university students and put on a show like that… well, I was astounded Mr Destler."

Erik nodded and said calmly,

"I don't mean to be rude, but I've got a lot to do before tonight's performance."

"Of course, I'll be brief. It's very simple really. We want you."

"I'm sorry?" Erik frowned. Phil grinned.

"The Opera House wants you to produce their next show. Someone mentioned your name and they sent me to watch the show and tell them what I thought. There's no doubt about it, you're a genius. We want you."

Erik stared at him. This was… he blinked.

"What show?"

"It's an original one; I've got a copy of the score here. I reckon you can interpret it and work your magic with it. The only problem is, I need your answer ASAP." Phil said, "Tonight if possible. All expenses covered, we'll get you a place to live in New York."

"How long?"

"Six months planning and rehearsal time. Another three running the show itself. If you say yes, we'll fly you out straight away. Well, Friday night. I spoke to the folks in New York and they agreed that if you wanted to stay to the end of this show running, you can."

Erik couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Phil and then said,

"I'm going to have to think about this. It's a big decision."

"I know. Here, take the score and here's the number of the hotel I'm staying at. I'm in town until Friday, I'll personally be flying you out if you agree. We'll have a contract drawn up and you can sign in New York. If we meet your standards of course." He winked. Erik took the card and the book.

"I'll let you know as soon as possible." He told Phil who smiled and nodded.

"You do that. And congratulations again on the show."

"Thank you." Erik said, somewhat dazedly. Phil shook his hand again and left.

Erik went to the office and sat down with the score. He flicked through, his curiosity and excitement peaking. This was it. This was his chance to return to the world of theatre and opera. Everything he had wanted was at his feet. All he had to do was dial the number and say yes.

But obviously, it wasn't that easy. It wasn't as if he cared about the house and his business here. That all meant very little to him, if anything it was simply something to keep him busy. No, there was only one thing of any importance in England. And that was Christine. How could he just leave her here to pursue a dream?

But… just last night she had said to him that he should take any chances that came his way. Erik considered the situation and then pushed everything to one side as Nadir came in, looking flustered.

"Four fuses just went in the chandelier and one of the back screens has fallen over."

"Very well. I'm coming." Erik said, pushing the score and card into his case.

* * *

That night, once again, Christine stood before the audience in her gala dress, smiling beautifully as she sang _Think of Me_. Tom's part came and as the attention of the audience turned to him, Christine risked a quick glance towards the sound box, where Erik was sitting. His eyes were fixed on her and her smile widened slightly as she began the final verse.

There was only one moment where things almost went wrong, and that was during _All I Ask Of You_, when one of the statues that Max was hiding behind almost got knocked off of it's pedestal. Luckily Max managed to catch it and straighten it before anyone noticed, but Christine saw him go incredibly pale at the thought of sending one of the props crashing to the floor whilst she and Tom were serenading each other.

Other than that, the evening was a complete success. Once the curtains were drawn, she turned to Max and Tom and said happily,

"That was awesome, guys!"

"I know, we rock!" Tom said excitedly. Christine hugged both Tom and Max and then stretched her arms above her head, smiling satisfactorily.

"Well, I'm going to go home and sleep. I was so excited last night, I hardly slept at all."

"See you tomorrow, Christine." Max smiled.

Erik was waiting in the hallway for her. She smiled at him.

"Well, maestro?"

"Perfect. I wouldn't expect anything less from you." He told her, with a kiss. She smiled and said,

"Well, I'm going home because I'm knackered. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Indeed." He said. Christine smiled and kissed him. And then she paused.

"I know I said this about a thousand times last night, but thank you. We couldn't have done it without you." She said solemnly. Erik examined her serious expression and then nodded. She smiled.

"Tomorrow." She said, kissing him again before she left.

* * *

When Erik got back to his house, he went to the living room and pulled out the card in his case. After looking at it for a moment, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Said the American accent of Phil Connelly.

"It's Erik Destler."

"Good evening, Mr Destler." He said, perking up immediately. "Come to a decision?"

"Yes, I have." Erik said and then hesitated. "…I'll do it. I'll go to New York."

* * *

The next morning, at the theatre, Nadir knew something was wrong. Erik had been staring at a prop for fourteen minutes and still hadn't done or said anything. He tapped his employer on the shoulder.

"What is bothering you, Erik?"

"Nothing." Erik said sharply. Nadir looked sceptical and Erik sighed. He already knew it was no good to deny it. He took Nadir into the office and sat down opposite him.

"Yesterday I was approached by someone from the New York Opera House. They want me to produce their next show."

"Really? Well, that's excellent! It's your chance to break back into the business." Nadir said enthusiastically. Erik nodded slowly.

"Nine months. They want me to stay in New York for nine months."

Nadir stared at him as realisation dawned. He asked quietly,

"When do they want you to leave?"

"Friday night. After the show."

"Good God… what are you going to say?"

Erik lifted his eyes to meet Nadir's and he realised the answer.

"You've already said yes?"

"Last night. I want you to sort out the house. Obviously I'll need it when I come back, but you can stay there. Unless you want to come to New York."

"It will take me some time to sort things out here, but I'll fly out when I've finished." Nadir agreed. And then he touched the more sensitive issues.

"What does Christine have to say about all of this?"

Erik didn't reply. Nadir stared at him.

"You haven't told her? Erik, what are you thinking?"

"I will. But… not yet. She needs to concentrate on the show."

"And when do you plan to tell her?" Nadir demanded. Erik slammed his hands on the desk.

"I don't know, Nadir! I've barely had it to think about it! But don't say a word to her about this. Not yet."

"I won't." Nadir said quietly. He was _not_ happy about this. He had become very fond of Christine and the idea that she could get hurt did not appeal to him in the least. But it was not his place to interfere.

Nadir sighed and stood.

"I'm going to do sound checks."

"Go ahead." Erik said tiredly. As Nadir left the office, he prayed that Erik knew what he was doing.

* * *

When Christine got the theatre, it was just before four. Tom and Max were already in their dressing room, so she simply called hello and went to the dressing room. Rebecca was there, pulling on her Carlotta outfit. Christine smiled briefly before reaching for her own outfit. Once dressed she put on her own make-up whilst June applied the lavish colours to Rebecca's face. Kirstie and Tracy arrived together, dressing quickly after being scolded by June.

"Nervous?" Kirstie asked Christine, who shook her head.

"No. We've done it twice now. I don't need to be nervous."

"Really?" Tracy asked. Christine grinned helplessly.

"No, I'm lying. I'm terrified."

There was a knock at the door and Max looked in, fully dressed with his mask.

"Christine, warm up is in five."

"OK." Christine smiled and then Max grinned.

"Oh, and I've got something for you."

He handed her several enormous bouquets of flowers. Christine stared at them.

"What the…?"

"From people who saw the last two performances. One girl sent Tom a lovely pair of silk boxers." Max smirked. Christine laughed and put the flowers on her chair. There were also several wrapped boxes for her.

"Ooh, presents!" She said happily. Kirstie and Tracy joined in opening them with her, Max watching curiously. Chocolates, stuffed toys and other gifts tumbled out, with letters and cards of congratulations.

"I can't believe people actually bothered to send all this stuff." Christine said, looking at a packet of luxury bubble bath mixes.

There was a shriek and they looked at Kirstie who was laughing hysterically, staring down at the contents of a box.

"What is it?" Christine asked. Tracy looked in the box and gasped, slamming the lid on it.

"Oh my _god_!"

"What?" Max asked curiously. Kirstie laughed,

"You know how someone sent Tom boxers?"

Christine stared at her in horror.

"You're _joking_?"

"I'm not!" Tracy passed the box and Max snorted in delight.

"Fantastic!" He grinned.

"That is disgusting! Who the hell would send me something like that?" Christine said, picking up the scarlet lingerie.

"And how did they know your size?" Tracy grinned. Christine pulled a face, dropping it back into the box.

"Oh, that's horrible!"

"I don't think it's that bad." Max grinned. Christine glared at him.

"OK, this doesn't leave this room!"

"Oh, I'm sure there are a few people who'd like to know about this." Max grinned wickedly. Christine looked at him warningly.

"Max…"

"I say we show it around!" He said cheerfully, picking up the box. Christine darted towards him.

"Don't you _dare_!"

"Where's Mr Destler?" Max smirked and Christine shrieked as he darted from the room. She ran after him, Kirstie and Tracy following curiously.

Christine chased Max, both of them screaming and shouting all the way up to the small studio, where Erik, Nadir and Tom were all waiting. Before Max could show it to them, however, Christine jumped on his back. He spun around with a shout and fell face forwards, Christine pinning him to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tom said. Christine glared down at Max.

"I warned you, Hodges!"

"OK, I'm sorry!" Max shouted as Christine twisted his arm back. Suddenly they both became very conscious of that fact that Erik, Nadir, Tom, Kirstie and Tracy were staring at them. Christine looked down at Max and then said,

"I'll get you later for this."

"OK, OK… just get off me!" Max said.

Christine climbed off and looked around for the box. It was lying on the floor but before she could get to it, Nadir had picked it up.

"What's this?"

"No!" Max and Christine cried in unison. But Nadir had already lifted the lid of the box. He went very red, very much the same colour as the lingerie inside, and quickly closed the lid.

"Oh… my." He said weakly

"I'll just get rid of that. Someone sent it to me." Christine mumbled, taking the box. She glared at Max.

"This is all your fault!"

"_I_ didn't send it to you." Max pointed out.

"It's still your fault!"

"Could we warm up, please? Erik reminded them. Christine, Max and Tom gathered around to warm up. Nadir took the box from Christine.

"I'll just dispose of this somewhere."

"Thank you." Christine said, throwing another glare at Max.

* * *

The first half went perfectly. It was almost ritualistic now and Christine found that instead of being nervous when she confronted the audience she simply fell into character. She wasn't Christine Danes in _The Phantom of the Opera_; she was Christine Daae in _Hannibal_. She was singing to the adoring audiences of Paris, France.

The second half began with _Masquerade_. Christine always enjoyed hearing the intake of breath as Max appeared in his Red Death outfit. It went well and as Christine made her way to the entrance hall afterwards, she heard several comments from the audience.

"They were all so good."

"You'd think they were pros. Especially Christine."

"I actually cried! The guy playing the Phantom was fantastic!"

"I know, especially in the last song when Christine kissed him."

She smiled to herself, making her way towards the doors. Erik was stood outside in the cool night air, his eyes closed. Christine looked at him and couldn't help smiling slightly. He looked so peaceful. After a few moments he opened his eyes and saw her. A slow smile crossed his face. She crossed to him.

"Your verdict, sir?"

"Excellent, as always." He said calmly. There was a pause and just as Erik was about to speak, Christine yawned unexpectedly. She covered her mouth, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry. I'm pretty tired. You were about to say something?"

"No… no, go on home. Get plenty of sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." He said and kissed her softly. She hugged him gently.

"Goodnight, Erik."

"Goodnight, Christine." He replied as she slipped out of his arms and crossed the car park to her car. He watched as she pulled away and then rubbed his unmasked temple in despair.

Erik was torn. For the first time in his life, he was completely at a loss of what to do. Usually, if he was troubled, he turned to Nadir. But Nadir could not help him now. No one could.

At this moment in time, faced with this particular predicament, he was lost. He knew what he _should_ do. He should just tell her. The fact that he had already hidden it for three days would hurt her. But how would she take it? Erik supposed she'd either be over the moon, delighted for him and insist that he takes this opportunity. Or she'd be furious, beg him to stay and he'd lost his chance to work at one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. He wouldn't be able to refuse her if she asked him to stay.

That was his choice. Christine or his career. And which mattered more to him? Yes, he loved Christine and would do anything for her. She had touched his face, kissed it, accepted it. But he had only known her for a matter of weeks. He had spent years building up his career and this could be his only chance to revive it. And he'd already agreed to go to New York.

It was settled as far as that. On Friday night, after the final curtain fall, he would leave for the airport. There would be not turning back once he'd left the theatre. Either with Christine or without her. He wanted to go. He couldn't deny that. But he didn't want to leave Christine. He was a petulant child, begging for more. But he couldn't have both.

This was the choice. This was his Point of No Return.

* * *

Wednesday's performance passed and they reached Thursday. Erik stood in the theatre, considering the stage.

"You still haven't told her, have you?" Nadir said quietly, behind him. Erik turned to look at him tiredly. Nadir closed his eyes with a groan.

"Erik, you leave tomorrow night! When are you going to tell her?" He demanded. Erik ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know." He admitted.

"The longer you stay, the harder it'll get." Nadir warned. Erik looked at him furiously.

"Harder? Nadir, it can't get any harder! What exactly do you suggest I tell her?"

"The truth, Erik. That's what she deserves." Nadir said quietly, moving past him to go to the sound box. Erik stared after him for a moment and then turned away.

* * *

Christine sat in the make-up chair during the interval, thinking anxiously. She was worried about Erik. He had barely spoken to her since yesterday, had avoided looking at her all through the warm ups and hadn't even wished her good luck for the show, something he'd done every night without failure.

"Christine, in your place please!" Nadir called, rushing down the hallway to fetch Tom and Max. Christine hurried backstage, joined a moment later by Tom.

"You OK?" He asked her, "You seem a little down tonight."

"I'm fine. It's sort of just sinking in that we're almost finished." She said. Tom nodded.

"I know. It's frightening."

"Quiet please, microphones are going on." A technician called. Christine and Tom settled down as the orchestra struck up again.

* * *

After the curtain went down, Christine looked around for Erik. She pushed her way through the crowd and down the hallway, nodding at people who congratulated her. She went into the entrance hall and looked around, realising for the first time that she was still in her costumer. Several people went to talk to her and she smiled, her eyes still searching for Erik. A moment later, she spotted Nadir and made her way to him.

"Nadir, have you seen Erik?" She asked. He blinked and then said,

"Oh… he's… I think he left already. He has an early start tomorrow."

"Oh… OK." Christine said, somewhat disappointed. Nadir looked like he was going to leave but she caught his arm.

"Nadir, have I done something wrong?" She blurted out. He stared at her.

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know… I just feel like Erik's… never mind. I'm probably just imagining it." She said reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

As she went back through the crowd to the dressing rooms, Nadir muttered some rather rude things about Erik under his breath before turning to leave.

**A/N: Bet you all hate me right now. Well, as long as you review, I think I can live with that! I told you, I can't let them be happy for too long at a time. It's just unnatural! As for the whole lingerie thing… not sure where that came from. I just felt we needed a bit of comedy in there!**

**A note about the New York Opera House. I don't know if there is one. I've never even been to America! So if there isn't one, there is now and it belongs to me! Mwahaha! If there is one, I'm borrowing it. Hee hee. **

**OK, chapter 18 is ready to be psoted. Chapter 19 is still being written. Yup, you've finally caught up with me! And I suspect that the story will be drawing to a close on Chapter 20. As I mentioned in 'Cold, Cold Heart' I have a strange obsession with making my stories end on round numbers.  
**

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	18. Chapter 18: Reactions

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Christine didn't have much time to ponder the mystery of Erik's behaviour the next morning. She woke up early to set up the guest bedrooms for Trisha, Jack, Melanie and Kelly. After going shopping for food for breakfast the next day, cleaning the house, doing some solo signing practise and mentally preparing herself for the last show, she was shocked to look at the clock to discover that it was already half past twelve. A few moments later there was a knock at the door.

Christine answered and was greeted with hugs and hellos from her family. They all bustled in, talking cheerfully, taking seats in the living room, where Christine had already set out refreshments.

"How was the drive?" She asked, pouring lemonade for the girls.

"Oh, it was fine. Three hours, good time." Jack said, making a fuss of Trister who was delighted at the full house. Trisha smiled at Christine.

"Ready for your final performance?"

"No! I can't believe it's over so quickly! I don't know what I'm going to do with all that spare time when the show is over." Christine laughed. Trisha smiled, considering her.

"You look wonderful, you know that? So cheerful and bright. Don't you think, Jack?"

"I was just thinking that. You look great." Jack agreed. Kelly tugged Christine's sleeves.

"Can you choose the Phantom instead? I don't want him to be alone."

Christine laughed and hugged her cousin.

"Sorry, I didn't write the script. But if I was the real Christine, I'd choose the Phantom."

"Me too." Kelly said, in a remarkably solemn tone for a four year old. The telephone rang and Christine reached across to answer it.

"Hello?"

"It's Tom."

"Hey Tom. What's up?" Christine said, pushing Trister away as he tried to jump up on her.

"Max and I were talking, and we were thinking that we should get something for Mr Khan and Mr Destler, to say thanks for their help. Do you know what sort of wine they like?"

Christine strained her memory and then told him the name of a wine she knew Erik loved. Tom said,

"Cheers Christine. See you tonight."

"See you later, Tom." She hung up and smiled at her family. "That was our Raoul. You'll meet him tonight, he's great."

"I can't wait to see it!" Melanie said excitedly. Christine grinned.

"Well, I have to be at the theatre for four, so if you can manage to keep yourselves occupied for a couple of hours, I'll see you there. You've got some really good seats."

They spent quite some time just sitting and talking. Mel and Kelly kept trying to persuade her to tell them about the show but she refused cheerfully.

"You'll have to wait!"

At 3:15 Christine got to her feet.

"I'd better set out. Trisha, you know where the keys are, don't you?"

"I'll lock up and everything. And we'll take Trister for a walk as well, so you won't have to worry about him."

"You're the best. I'll see you there!"

* * *

She drove quickly to the theatre, running up the front steps. Nadir was in the Entrance Hall, talking to one of the programme sellers. He smiled when he saw her.

"Ready?"

"Absolutely!" She said with determination. He nodded, pleased.

"Go on through. June's here."

"Thanks Nadir."

Erik watched from behind a curtained doorway as she rushed through to the changing rooms. This was… well, to be perfectly honest, it was a mess. He was due to leave at 11:30. His cases were already waiting in the car, parked behind the theatre. Nadir was to spend the next two weeks clearing up business deals and paying the servants for the next nine months, to keep the house in order before flying out to New York.

And Christine still didn't know. Didn't know that by this time tomorrow he would be on a different continent altogether. He had to tell her. Before it was too late. Had to…

He set off towards the changing rooms. But he had only gone a few steps when Dr Carter rushed out.

"Ah, Mr Destler! We've got a couple of photographers here and they wanted to get a picture of you on the stage, with Mr Khan. Would you mind?" Erik was dragged off to the stage before he could speak.

* * *

Rebecca was already getting dressed when Christine arrived. Christine smiled.

"You're very early."

"I'm sick of taking ages to get the make-up done. I figured it'd just be easier to get it done now than rushing around later." Rebecca explained. Christine nodded and was just reaching for her costume when Rebecca said,

"Christine?" She looked over. Rebecca was standing straight and looking her in the eye. "I just wanted to… well, to apologise, I guess. I've not been the most pleasant person in the world to you. I was just jealous about you getting the part. I thought for sure I had it. Until you sang of course. I probably wouldn't have been so bad if I knew you could sing."

Christine didn't smile. She looked at Rebecca and then nodded.

"Thanks Rebecca. I appreciate that. You're a really good singer, and a good actress."

"You too." Rebecca said and gave a quick, awkward smile before disappearing into a cubicle. Christine took her own costume and went to change.

Tracy and Kirstie arrived shortly afterwards, talking excitedly.

"I can't believe this is it!" Kirstie cried, tying back her thick, red hair. Christine smiled.

"I know! All that work – this is what it's for. The other nights were just rehearsing for this."

"That's what it feels like." Tracy agreed.

They hurried to get themselves ready. Everything seemed to be taking twice as long as it had before and more than once June swore as she smudged make-up or messed hair up. Eventually she looked at the four of them.

"OK, you're just about ready. Break a leg, girls."

"Thanks June." Tracy said and looked at the other three. They had planned this and Rebecca went to a changing cubicle, pulling out a bouquet of flowers.

"These are for you, June. To say thanks for helping us get ready." She said, handing them to the grinning woman.

"Aw, you guys! OK, stop it or I'll start crying. Now, you've got ten minutes free time. I'm going to check up on the guys." She disappeared.

The girls all sat on their chairs. Christine chewed her lips, forcing herself to be calm. Being hysterical would do no one any good. She listened to the chattering of the other girls until there was a knock at the door.

"Flowers for Kirstie Ellison." A stagehand said, passing in some pretty flowers. Kirstie grinned and took them, reading the card.

"Who are they from?" Tracy asked.

"From my boyfriend." She smiled, blushing. Christine couldn't help smiling to herself. A few minutes later, a teddy bear and a box of chocolates arrived for Tracy, from her own boyfriend.

Christine laughed at their excitement and couldn't help giggling as more flowers arrived, this time for Rebecca. Kirstie smiled at Christine.

"I suppose Mr Destler will be sending you some?"

"He sent us flowers on the first night." Christine reminded her. Tracy looked at her cynically.

"Yes, but that was for all of us."

"I've had quite enough presents." Christine said, wincing as she remembered the lingerie. They all burst out laughing and then laughed again as there was a knock at the door. Tracy answered.

"Yes?"

"Delivery for Christine Danes." The delivery boy said and passed a single red rose, tied with a black ribbon to Christine.

She smiled, looking down at it.

"Is there a message?" Kirstie asked. Christine shook her head.

"No."

She didn't need one.

* * *

She didn't know if it was the fact that this was her last time on the stage, or if it was because Trisha and her family were in the second row, or because Meg was grinning cheerfully at her with her family around her or simply because she knew that she was going to give her best performance, but Christine felt that she could not have possibly sung better that night. All of them were on top form, Max and Tom singing more passionately and perfectly than she had ever heard them before.

The end came far too quickly. She, Max and Tom stood at the back of the hall, walking down the centre aisle for the last time as their names were announced. The applause was thunderous and most of the audience had gotten to their feet, screaming and cheering them.

They climbed onto the stage and took a final bow. Christine's jaw was aching from smiling but she just couldn't stop, waving to Trisha and the others, including a screaming Meg. At the back of the hall, she saw Erik slip in and her smile widened.

Dr Carter joined the cast onstage, clutching a microphone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, a round of applause for _The Phantom of the Opera_!" He declared and the cheers started again. He waited for them to die down before saying, "I can honestly say that this is the finest show put on by this university. I have never met such a dedicated group of students and it has truly been an honour to work with them."

He smiled around at the students. "But there are many people who you did not see tonight, without whom this production would never have come about." He began to name the set and prop designers, technicians and in particular, June, who was promptly dragged onstage, blushing furiously. Dr Carter grinned and continued.

"But there are two men in particular who deserve our thanks more than anyone. They are Mr Nadir Khan and Mr Erik Destler. Would they both join us?"

Nadir and Erik walked, rather reluctantly to the stage, standing beside it. Christine laughed at the look on Erik's face. He was staring fixedly at Dr Carter, who was still talking.

"And, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have some rather exciting news! I think he was trying to keep it quiet, but I just _have_ to share it with you all!"

No one noticed, but Erik stiffened visibly as Dr Carter continued.

"Mr Destler, I have discovered, has been approached by a professional operatic society and is going to producing the latest show at none other than the New York Opera House!"

There was a gasp, cheers, more applause. Erik didn't notice. His eyes had flicked over to Christine. At Dr Carter's announcement the smile had faded from her face and she was staring at with those large brown eyes. They were no longer warm and loving but shocked and filled with hurt. Erik barely heard the end of Dr Carter's speech, he was only aware of the pained look on Christine's face.

Max looked down at the girl standing beside him as she leant against him heavily, the hand that he was clutching suddenly tightening its grip almost to the point of being painful. She had gone pale. The curtains closed and the last thing that Christine saw was Erik struggling through the crowds to reach the stage.

She stared at the curtains, as still as a statue whilst everyone around her talked excitedly.

"The New York Opera House!" Tom said, "That's incredible! Why didn't you tell us, Christine?"

She didn't reply. She couldn't breathe. In one hand she clutched the red rose Erik had sent to her that night. Max and Tom stared at her and slowly the people around them fell silent as they saw her.

"Because she didn't know." Max said in quiet realisation. Christine breathed sharply, licking her dry lips, lifting a hand to her face, brushing a stray curl back. And then she looked up as everyone turned. Erik appeared on the other side of the stage, his eyes on Christine.

"Christine." He said, almost desperately.

"You're leaving?" She said in distraught, quiet voice. He paused and then nodded. Christine swallowed hard.

"When?"

"Tonight." Erik said.

"_Tonight_?" Christine repeated faintly. Erik stepped towards her.

"Christine-"

"Were you even going to tell me? Or, what Erik? Were you just going to call from the plane?" Christine said, half-angry, half-upset. Erik didn't reply. Christine breathed deeply.

"How long?"

"Nine months." He said quietly.

"Nine months…" She said slowly.

Erik watched the turmoil in her face and stepped towards her again. But Christine took a step back, away from him, her face suddenly twisting into anger.

"Go."

"What?"

"Just go, Erik! I don't care anymore! Just go to America." She spat, storming past him. He caught her arm.

"Christine, wait!"

"No, Erik. I'm not waiting. You obviously don't care enough to tell me if you're leaving the country for nine months. You'd rather just let me find out a few hours beforehand in front of all of my friends and family. Why should I care if you go? I still have just about enough dignity to walk away from you without begging you to stay." Christine said, pulling her arm from his grip. She looked at him for a moment. "Don't say goodbye. Don't do anything. Just _go_."

And with that she pushed the rose into his hand and walked away. The people who could see her face as she left saw the blank face of a mannequin instead of the tormented face of a girl whose heart had just shattered.

* * *

Meg and her family were waiting anxiously in the entrance hall with Trisha, Jack and Christine's cousins when she emerged from the dressing room. They all fell on her at once.

"Christine?"

"Are you OK?"

"He's going to New York?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Christine flinched away from their questions and said quietly,

"I'm tired. I just… I want to go home." They all looked at her and she pulled her car keys out of her pocket, looking at Trisha.

"I'll meet you at home." She walked away. Meg went after her and touched her arm.

"Christine?"

"I'm just tired." Christine told her quietly. But Meg knew her better than that. However, she nodded and said quietly,

"I'll call you tomorrow."

Christine nodded and slipped out of the theatre.

* * *

Trisha sent the girls to bed as soon as they got home and asked Jack to tuck them in before taking Christine into the kitchen.

"What happened? You went so pale when you came out. Didn't you know?"

"…No. Apparently I wasn't important enough to know." Christine said coldly. Trisha frowned.

"Christine, sweetie…"

"Trisha, I think I just want to go to bed." She said. Trisha nodded.

"OK. I'll see you in the morning.

Christine climbed the stairs and went into her room. She undressed and pulled on a nightdress, climbing into bed. A little while afterwards, she heard Trisha and Jack go to bed. But she didn't sleep for some time.

* * *

She woke late. Very late. She found a note on her bedside table.

_Christine,_

_ We didn't want to wake you so we left quietly. I will call you when we get home._

_ Love Trisha_

Trister shuffled up the bed, seeking attention. Christine stroked his head absently and then hugged him. He rubbed his face against her and she felt an ache in her chest at the simple affection he showed. She forced herself to get out of bed. It was nearly noon so she took a shower and went downstairs. She wasn't hungry but she made herself some tea and sipped it as she wandered the house. By this time she would have been in rehearsals, practising something with Max and Tom.

_And Erik_.

Christine bit her lip and put her tea down. Trister was looking hopeful, wanting a walk. Christine picked his leash up.

"Come on." She said quietly, clipping it onto his collar and they set off towards the park. The beautiful weather that she had revelled in these last few weeks seemed mocking now. It should be raining, to suit her mood. But the forecast had predicted bright sunshine all day.

She circled the park a couple of times and as she started back home, she heard someone call her name. Christine turned and saw Max heading towards her.

"I was just coming to see you." He said, wiping his brow. "Are you OK?"

Christine nodded mutely. Max eyed her.

"Yeah, because I totally believe that." She looked at him and he said, "Come on. Let's go back to yours."

They went back to her house. Christine let Trister off the leash and he went to his water bowl, lapping thirstily.

"Do you want a drink?" She asked Max dully. He nodded and followed her to the kitchen. She handed him a can of coke and snapped open one of her own. Max watched her and then said quietly,

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about. He made a choice." Christine replied, twisting the ring pull on the can. Max frowned.

"Christine…"

"Max, it doesn't make a difference, OK? He left. Only an idiot would turn down an opportunity like that! I know exactly how important his music is to him and I'm sure as hell not going to stand in the way!" Christine said angrily.

Max looked at her, his blue eyes staring into hers. Christine met his gaze and then had to look away. An expression of pain and misery crossed her face, involuntarily.

"Why didn't he tell me?" She said in a choked voice. The floodgates opened and she found herself crying, Max's arms around her as she buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing unbearably. Max didn't say anything. Although he felt extreme anger towards Erik Destler at that particular moment.

* * *

Meg arrived half an hour later. Christine and Max were in the kitchen, talking quietly when she rang the doorbell. Max answered it and led Meg to the kitchen. She instantly hugged Christine, seeing the miserable expression on her face.

"I brought chocolate." She said, handing Christine a bar. Christine couldn't help smiling.

"That's your answer to everything."

"Because it nearly always works." Meg pointed out.

Christine brushed her hair back and smiled slightly.

"Thanks Meg."

"No problem sweetie. Now, let's get you cleaned up. I am determined to cheer you up and I'm sure Max will help. And tonight we're going to that dance thing and we're going to have a great time."

"Why are you going? You weren't in the show." Christine said in confusion. Meg lifted an eyebrow and smiled sweetly.

"Tom asked me to go with him. So you're stuck with me. Now… first things first, you go and wash your face. You're all puffy. Then we'll eat chocolate, and then we can go for a walk, do some shopping, have something to eat and get ready for the dance. Go on!"

She pushed Christine towards the stairs. Max looked at her appraisingly.

"How did you do that?"

"It needs a firm hand. And chocolate doesn't hurt." Meg said, popping a piece into her mouth.

* * *

Christine had to admit, Max and Meg were doing their best to cheer her up. They wandered around town, doing some shopping, having fun, Max cracking jokes all the way. But the fact remained that all she could think about was Erik and how he had betrayed her.

What hurt most of all was that he hadn't told her. Why hadn't he? Why couldn't he simply have sat her down and told her about his wonderful opportunity, his dream coming true? Had she meant so little to him that it just wasn't worth his time?

Christine found herself doubting every moment they had spent together. His insecurities about his face… how many other women had fallen for that? Everything he had said to her, had he used those same loving words to tempt other women to his bed?

And she had fallen for it, like a fool. After two years of making sure not to let anyone too close, just in case, she had let someone in. And he had left. Would everyone leave? She wondered. Anytime she had someone she loved, be it parents or a lover, would they always leave in the end?

She wanted to hate him for what he had done to her. Wanted to scream and shout and rage. But more than that she just wanted to be with him. She just wanted to wake up beside him in the morning, to know that he would be there.

And now he never would be.

* * *

The dance started at seven. At 5:30 Christine went home to prepare. Max promised to pick her up on the way.

"You're not leaving me alone with Tom and Meg." He warned. Christine took a shower. Sure, she felt like crap. But Meg had ordered her to look fabulous and although what Christine most wanted to do was curl up in her bed, it was simply easier for her to obey.

She pulled out the dress she had bought only a week ago. It seemed like a lifetime. Although, she had to admit, it was a good dress. It was very dark green, in a Chinese style with golden decorations. Flowers, leaves and a golden Chinese dragon stitched up one side, with slits up to just above her knee. Christine pulled her hair up, using ornamental chopsticks to hold her hair in place.

Trister watched lazily from the bed. Christine went downstairs and put down a bowl of food for him as the doorbell rang. She answered and Max's jaw dropped.

"OK… no fair. If I can't be that pretty, no one can." He grinned. Christine smiled weakly.

"Let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can leave."

"That's the positive attitude I'm looking for." Max said as they walked down to his car.

Christine hadn't been in the University Dance Hall before. It was a large room and had been decorated with flowers, tables laden with food and drink and a band comprised of some music students on a platform at one end. The room was already bustling when Max and Christine arrived. Meg and Tom joined them immediately. Meg grinned.

"Way to clean up, Christine!"

"You look great." Tom agreed. Christine gave a faint smile and Meg handed her a glass.

"Here. Get drunk. It'll help."

"Don't encourage her." Max scolded. Christine rolled her eyes and went to put her bag at the table Meg and Tom had claimed. Kirstie appeared beside her.

"Great dress, Christine!"

"Thanks Kirstie." Christine said. Kirstie smiled.

"You OK?"

"Been better." Christine admitted. "But I'm just going to… well, if Meg has her way, get incredibly drunk."

"Always a good thing." Kirstie winked and disappeared into the crowd. The band began to play and one of the dancers seized Max for a dance, Meg and Tom rushing to find a place on the dance floor. Christine sat at the table, watching with a smile.

Someone appeared beside her. Christine looked up and saw Rebecca, looking a little awkward.

"Christine."

"Hello Rebecca."

"I just wanted to… to make sure that you were OK." Rebecca said. Christine shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm OK."

The song ended and there was the sound of a microphone being picked up. Christine looked towards the stage and groaned quietly. Dr Carter was looking to make another speech. He smiled around at them.

"Welcome, all of you! Enjoy yourselves tonight, you certainly earned it. I just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and determination. You certainly made it a show to remember. And now Mr Khan would like to say a few words."

Christine stood up sharply as Nadir took the microphone. He looked around with a smile.

"I would also like to thank you for your hard work. It has been an honour to work with such a talented group and I truly believe that you will all go far. Mr Destler also sends his regards. Obviously he couldn't be here, but all the refreshments tonight are on him and that is his thank you to you. It's been a pleasure, ladies and gentleman."

To the sound of applause, he handed the microphone to the lead singer of the band. His eyes met Christine's and he quickly crossed the hall to her. She was painfully aware that everyone was watching them. Nadir was also aware of this and took her outside. He turned to her.

"Christine, are you alright?" She looked at him plainly.

"Not really."

"I… I expected that." He admitted. "Christine, I consider you a close friend now and I hope you think the same of me. I certainly didn't expect you to react like that."

"What did you expect? I couldn't ask him to stay, Nadir. He's been waiting God knows how long for a chance like this. I couldn't ask him to stay. Not for me." Christine said tiredly.

Nadir considered her and then sighed.

"You are an extraordinary young woman, Christine. I'm sorry that you got hurt because of that." Christine nodded and swallowed hard.

"Are you… are you going too?"

"Yes. In a couple of weeks." Nadir said quietly. Christine lifted a hand to push back a piece of hair and Nadir said, "I expect you hate him now."

"…No. No, I don't hate him. I wish I could." Christine admitted. "But even if he had told me, I would have told him to go. Perhaps not quite so… forcefully. But I would have made him go."

She looked at him.

"I'm not upset because he left. Well, I _am_. But I'm mostly upset because he just didn't think enough of me to tell me."

"Christine, that's not true. He thinks the world of you." Nadir protested gently. Christine looked at Nadir sadly.

"He didn't tell me, Nadir. That's all I know."

"Christine-"

"Don't tell him that you spoke to me. Let him just forget. He's got all he ever wanted now. Don't take that away from him because a stupid girl fell in love with the wrong person." Christine said, pushing open the door.

She paused and then turned back to Nadir. She hugged him quickly and then disappeared into the hall. Nadir stared after her and then turned away.

* * *

It is a fact of life that time always slows down when you are miserable, stretching out the hours to unbearable lengths. Over the next two weeks, Christine split her time between walking Trister, practising music, reading, writing a couple of songs, visiting her parent's graves and occasionally spending time with Max, Tom and Meg. The four of them seemed to have become quite close lately.

Several other people had invited her out, meals, drinks, clubs, cinema, bowling, walking and a thousand other social events. Mostly she declined. It felt very much as though time had gone backwards, to before _The Phantom of the Opera_. When she spent her time in a routine, predictable and safe.

Not so long ago she would have been perfectly happy to live like that. But she had changed so much since then. She had become a different person. Someone who enjoyed going to dinner with a special person, drinking wine, going to the opera, valuing precious moments caught between rehearsals, the true value of waking beside someone with sunshine pouring through the window with flecks of dust floating through the illuminated air.

It was a Friday afternoon and Christine was in the living room reading a book. Or at least she was _trying _to read a book. She didn't seem to be getting very far. In fact, she was positive that she had read this same line several times over.

She put the book to one side and hunched up on the chair. Her eyes wandered to a scrapbook tucked into a drawer. She reached for it, knowing she shouldn't but unable to resist. It fell open on the page that was most read.

Several pieces of paper were glued into the book. One was the article about _The Phantom of the Opera_, including the picture that had caused the rumours about her and Erik. There was also the article and pictures from the magazine, showing their first kiss. Various other articles covered the next few pages, reviews of the show, interviews, that sort of thing.

Slipped inside, but not glued, a piece of paper slid into her lap. She knew what it was. An article published only last week from a national newspaper. All about Opera Houses of the world. There, in the corner of the page, was a small picture of Erik and a few notes about his new work at the New York Opera House.

Christine closed the scrapbook, pushing the picture back inside. It hurt less to look at them now, she found. It had been unbearable at first. Every little thing seemed to remind her of him. The aching in her heart had faded slightly now.

The doorbell rang. It was probably Meg or Max. Christine opened the door, about to comment on how they might as well live there, since they never seemed to leave. But it wasn't either of them, nor was it Tom.

Nadir stood on the doorstep. Christine stared at him.

"Nadir…"

"Hello Christine." He said. She swallowed.

"What… what are you doing here?"

"I'm on my way to the airport." He explained. Christine nodded silently. He had come to say goodbye. She said,

"You sorted everything out?"

"Yes. Some of it took longer than expected, but it's all sorted."

"Oh."

She didn't know what to say. Fortunately Nadir spoke next.

"Christine, I spoke to Erik last night. He… he's suffering without you."

"Why are you telling me this, Nadir? He chose to go." Christine reminded him sharply. Nadir nodded and said,

"I know. The reason I'm here is because I'm leaving in about four hours."

Christine frowned slightly.

"And you just decided to stop by on your way to the airport?" Nadir smiled.

"No. This isn't exactly a social call, Christine. I'm leaving in four hours…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to her and she opened it. A ticket was inside.

"…And I wanted to know if you want to come with me."

**A/N: Will she go? Or won't she? Well obviously _I_ know. Because I already wrote that part. So get reviewing! Remember – reviews feed my ego. When my ego is of a correct size my muse kicks in and tells me to get my arse in gear. Heh. Unfortunately you may have to wait a while for the next chapter, because it's not finished. On the other hand, if I can get my homework finished today and get writing, it MIGHT be up tomorrow. No promises though.**

**And remember - promises of cookies, hershey's cookies and whatever else you have lying around ALWAYS helps! **

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	19. Chapter 19: The Strength To Try

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Nineteen**

Erik checked his watch. 6:30 already. He picked up his coat and headed for the theatre exit. A singer called goodbye and he nodded.

He walked down the steps of the Opera House and began the ten block walk to his penthouse. The managers had certainly spared no expense when it came to his needs and wants. A luxury accommodation close to the Opera House, a generous salary and as much freedom as he desired when it come to the production of the opera.

He spoke to Nadir regularly and his employee would be flying out that day to join him. There was more than enough room for the two of them. The penthouse was big enough for at least four people to live in. And yet he almost wished Nadir were staying England. He was Erik's only tie to _her_.

He hadn't gone after her that night. He should have done. He knew that. But her words had struck home and Erik had already made up his mind to leave. So he had.

God, he missed her. Erik would never have admitted it to anyone, but he could admit it to himself. He missed her more than he could have thought possible. It was unbearable, waking up every morning to an empty bed. Knowing that he could have had her. Knowing that she could have been his forever, that she would willingly have stayed with him… and he had dismissed her for the sake of music. His most faithful mistress and truest companion of all now seemed insignificant. It could not fill the aching gap that Christine had left in his life.

And he knew he had no one to blame for that except himself. Because he hadn't gone after her whilst he had the chance.

Erik arrived at his building and stepped inside. He went to the elevator and pressed a button, waiting as the machine carried him up to the top floor. He stepped out and went to his door, unlocking it. Stepping into the luxurious apartment, he hung his coat up. The weather was warm and humid. He would have welcomed rain to clear the air. Instead he opted for a shower. The hot water cascaded over him. He bent his head, allowing the water to drip from his hair, down his face. He stood still for some time before turning the tap to halt the flow of water.

He dressed in loose, comfortable clothes and went to pour himself a drink. The phone rang and he answered it.

"Erik Destler speaking."

"It's Nadir. I'm off the plane and I'm just getting a taxi. I should be with you in an hour."

"Of course. How was the flight?"

"Terrible film on and the food was nauseating." Nadir said cheerfully. "See you soon."

Erik hung up the phone and considered food. He should eat something, although since his arrival in New York, he found he was rarely hungry. But Nadir would want food after his flight. He ordered food and was assured that it would be there within half an hour.

To fill the time he sat at the table, spreading his opera notes over it, running through already made plans, jotting down fresh ideas and sketching costume designs. The food arrived and he put it in the oven to keep it warm whilst he waited for Nadir, returning to his work. It was such a cliché, he thought wryly. A heartbroken man burying himself in his work, just so he wouldn't have to think about the woman who brought him to this pathetic state.

There was a knock on the door at just past eight. Erik answered it and smiled to see his friend on the doorstep, carrying several suitcases.

"Nadir."

"Hello Erik." Nadir grinned and they sort of half-hugged, that awkward display of affection men show even when there's no one watching.

"Come in. There's food in the oven." Erik said, holding the door open.

"Excellent, I'm starving!" Nadir said happily, dumping his suitcases to one side. Erik pulled the food out of the oven and started to pile it onto two plates.

When they were sat down with food, Erik looked at him, opened his mouth to speak, closed it again and continued to pick at his food. Nadir lifted an eyebrow.

"You can ask about her, you know."

"I know." Erik said, but he didn't say anything further. Nadir sighed.

"I saw her briefly at the dance for the cast."

"How was she?" Erik asked quietly. Nadir considered.

"She looked… well, she looked amazing. But only because of the dress she was wearing. I suspect one of her friends had helped make her up. But she wasn't happy."

Erik put down his fork. He wasn't hungry. Nadir watched him for a moment and then stood up.

"I think I'll go to bed. Long flight."

"Second door on the left."

"Thank you." Nadir smiled and disappeared, picking up one of his suitcases.

Erik took his plate to the sink and rinsed it, cleaning the surface slowly. His eyes fell on the abandoned notes and pieces of paper. He pushed them messily into a folder and left them for the night.

* * *

Christine sat, wondering what the hell she was doing. Two weeks, she had spent, trying to convince herself that she didn't care for him. Wasted time, it would appear. The first chance to see him and she had jumped on a plane and flown thousands of miles just to sit in a New York hotel room and regret her decision before even seeing him. Nadir had told her that he would call her that evening and organise a way of letting Erik know that she was here.

She reached for the phone and called Meg.

"Hey Christine. How was the flight?"

"It was OK. How's Trister?"

"Oh, he's great. We've been playing with his squeaky toys." Meg said cheerfully. Christine smiled faintly.

"Thanks for taking him, Meg."

"No problem. Are you OK? I'm still not so sure that it was a good idea you going."

"I'm not sure either. But I'm a little stuck now." Christine pointed out. Meg laughed.

"Good point. Well, if things get bad, just come home, OK? I'll make sure Max and Tom know where you are. Otherwise they'll start panicking and ring the police."

"They do overreact a lot." Christine agreed. "I'll call you later."

"OK. Enjoy New York!"

Christine put the phone down and ran a hand through her hair.

"What am I _doing_ here?" She said to herself. This was stupid. When had she become so spontaneous? And what was Erik going to think when she showed up on his doorstep? What would she even say to him?

This was pure ridiculousness. But Christine couldn't bring herself to ring the airport and book a flight home.

* * *

Nadir rang Christine the next morning, when he knew Erik was in the shower and wouldn't overhear.

"Hello?" She answered sleepily.

"It's me. We're going to the theatre in about an hour. I'll send a taxi to pick you up."

"OK."

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I don't know. We'll see soon enough." She said dryly.

Christine dressed quickly, looking through her hastily packed suitcase for an outfit. She wanted to look good. The weather was warm and bright. She went downstairs to the hotel restaurant. Christine was too nervous to eat, her stomach jumping about. The waitress smiled at her.

"Would you like to order?"

"Some tea, please."

"Anything to eat?"

"No, thank you." Christine said, twisting her napkin. The waitress hesitated and then asked,

"Are you OK?"

"Oh… yes. Thank you." Christine smiled briefly and the waitress went to fetch her tea.

After sipping her tea anxiously for a while, Christine wandered out of the restaurant. A hotel worker approached her.

"Miss Danes? There's a taxi waiting for you."

"Thanks." Christine said and hurried outside, climbing into the car. The driver a cheerful man smiled at her.

"The New York Opera House, right ma'am?"

"Yes please." Christine said.

"You're a fan?"

"I'm sorry?" She said, puzzled. He looked at her in his mirror.

"Of the opera."

Christine blinked and then said,

"Oh, I… I haven't been to the Opera House before."

"You're not from around here, I'm guessing by the accent."

"No. I flew out yesterday." Christine said.

"Sightseeing?"

"Sort of. I'm… visiting a friend."

"At the Opera House?"

"He works there."

"Ah." The driver fell silent and then began to whistle to himself, allowing Christine some relieved time to herself.

The car pulled to a stop outside a magnificent building. Christine paid the driver and climbed up, staring at the building. It was one of the biggest she had ever seen, exquisitely decorated and architecturally enchanting.

And Erik was inside.

Christine felt a tight fist of ice and fear grip her heart and for a moment she considered running back to the car. But she forced herself to climb the steps towards the doors and go in. Once she was there, she found she had no idea where she was going. A man of about thirty was passing with a newspaper and she stopped him.

"Excuse me… do you work here?"

"I do, ma'am." He said, smiling. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone who works here."

"Have they got a name?" He asked.

"…Erik Destler."

He grinned.

"Oh, Mr Destler! Of course, he'll be in the main theatre. I'll take you there." He began to lead her through luxurious corridors. He glanced at her sideways.

"From England, right?"

"Yes."

"You knew Mr Destler there? I know he's British as well."

"Yes, I… I knew him." Christine said quietly.

"I'm Mike Brickson."

"Christine Danes." She replied.

"How long you in town for?"

"I have no idea. I only flew out yesterday on the spur of the moment."

He grinned.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time." She admitted. Mike laughed and pushed open a door.

"He'll be in there. Looks like they're having a break from rehearsals."

Christine went into the room and her jaw dropped. She had thought the local Opera House had been extravagant. She stood corrected. It seemed pathetic compared to this room. Hundreds of seats swept towards a magnificent stage, dancers and singers strolling around, chatting, musicians sat with their instruments, drinking coffee.

Christine felt sick. She walked very slowly towards the stage, clutching her bag to her tightly, staring around her for a familiar face. A woman smiled at her.

"You OK, honey? You've gone a little pale." Christine nodded nervously and the woman said, "You looking for someone?"

"Erik… Erik Destler." Christine stammered. The woman smiled and whistled piercingly.

"Hey, Mr Destler! You've got a visitor!"

Christine turned sharply. Standing on a corner of the stage, talking earnestly with a male performer was the tall figure of Erik Destler, his black hair gleaming in the stage lights and his white mask scowling at the room. He turned when the woman called and his eyes rested on Christine. His eyes promptly widened and he dropped the scorebook he was holding. It clattered to the stage, earning several glances.

"Christine?" He said in amazement. Christine felt the air rush from her lungs. She couldn't… she had to leave. She turned and began to run up the aisle. But Erik jumped off the stage, pushing through performers who all turned to watch. Christine was a couple of metres from the door when Erik caught her arm and pulled her around. She stared up at him, her eyes wide, tears threatening.

Erik stared down at her. God, had she always been this beautiful? His memories of her, his constant attempts to summon a picture of her to his mind had never managed to capture that beauty.

"Christine, you're here… what are you…? How…?" He couldn't go on. Christine licked her lips and then burst out,

"I don't know. I don't… I just… Oh God…" A tear escaped her eye. Erik compulsively lifted a hand to wipe it away, his hand cupping her cheek. She pressed her face into his palm without meaning to.

Erik couldn't help it. He didn't mean to do it, but he just couldn't _not_ do it. He kissed her. Christine couldn't move at first but then her hands slid up into his hair and he pulled her against him and all the anger and love she felt for him poured out through their kiss.

When he eventually pulled away, she stared at him. And then she took a step back. Erik didn't know what to say. After a moment Christine said chokingly,

"I shouldn't have come here."

"What?" He said in disbelief. She shook her head.

"What am I doing? I shouldn't have come."

"Christine…"

"For God's sake, Erik! The last time I saw you, you were practically jumping onto the plane! I was so pissed off and I was trying to just forget about you and then as soon as Nadir suggested I come, I agree straight away!"

"Nadir brought you?"

"Yes, he… I've got to go."

She turned quickly but Erik caught her again, turning her back.

"Wait a damn minute, Christine. You can't just show up like this, kiss me like that and then run off back to England!"

"Why not, Erik? You showed up in my life, made me fall in love with you and ran off to America at the first chance!" Christine shot back. Erik closed his eyes.

"And you don't think that I've been regretting that ever since?"

"But you didn't call or write or anything." Christine pointed out.

"Because I thought you hated me!" Erik said angrily. Christine glared at him.

"Well, then, you're an idiot, aren't you?"

"How am I an idiot?" He demanded. Christine ground her teeth.

"Because if you had the slightest bit of common sense you'd realise that I'm completely in love with you!"

"You told me that you didn't care!"

"I was _lying_!" Christine shouted, as thought it had been obvious.

"Well, who's fault is that?" Erik roared.

They glared at each other and then Christine said furiously,

"If you'd just bloody told me that you were coming to America, I wouldn't have been so angry!"

"You didn't exactly give me a chance to explain myself, Christine!"

"Well, you didn't have to wait until two hours before you were leaving the country before letting me know! I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you didn't tell me?"

"If you must know, I was afraid!" Erik spat.

"Afraid of _what_?"

"Afraid that you'd hate me!"

"I don't hate you, Erik, I love you! Now shut the hell up!"

And with that she seized him and kissed him again. Erik couldn't move, simply through shock. Then Christine fell back and glared at him.

"I've had enough shit from you, Erik. So just tell me – do you want to be with me?"

"Of course I do."

"Good. Because we're going to sit down and find a way to make this work, with me finishing university and you being here working on the show and we're damn well going to do it right. With both of us knowing what the other one is planning for the next nine months."

"We'd better, because I'm tired of shouting." Erik said. Christine looked at him, a solemn expression on her face. And then she glanced at the open-mouthed members of the Opera House and waved.

"Hi. Christine Danes. Nice to meet you."

Erik could have laughed. But Christine looked up at him.

"When do you finish?"

"I'll cancel rehearsal and be with you in ten minutes."

"In which case, I'm going to wait outside." She said and turned towards the doors. But then she paused and turned back to the crowd, looking awkward.

"Sorry for interrupting." And then she vanished.

Erik scratched the back of his head, wondering what the hell had just happened and if he'd fallen asleep again. One of the singers said,

"She seems… nice."

"Rehearsal is cancelled. Get out of here." Erik said, almost bewildered.

* * *

Christine sat in the lobby, chewing her fingernail. The strength that had supported her through the confrontation with Erik had long since departed. A shadow appeared over her and she looked up at Erik. He considered her for a moment and then said,

"Come on."

He headed for the door and Christine followed him, half-running to keep up with his swift pace.

"Where are we going?" She asked breathlessly.

"My apartment. Nadir is there. He has a few things to explain." He said shortly. They walked the rest of the way in silence. Christine barely had time to marvel at the sights of New York and by the time they stood in the elevator, she was panting. Erik still didn't speak as he hit the button for the top floor. Christine watched the lights flash, signalling their ascent to the upper levels of the building.

She felt like she should say something. But she didn't know what so she stayed silent. The doors opened and she followed Erik to a door. He unlocked it and stepped inside, holding it open for her. Christine barely had time to take in the splendour of the apartment before Erik had shouted angrily for Nadir.

The dark skinned man appeared, dressed in comfortable clothes and smiling cheerfully.

"You're back early. Hello Christine. How was the hotel?" He said casually, moving into the room. Erik glared at him.

"Explain yourself, Nadir. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know what you mean, Erik. Coffee?"

"No, I _don't_ want coffee." Erik said, befuddled.

Nadir poured himself some and looked at Christine.

"Would you like some?"

"Uh… OK." She said, also confused at both of their behaviours. Erik looked at Nadir.

"Is an explanation too much to ask?"

"There's really very little to explain. I asked Christine if she wanted to come, she said yes, I brought her and organised for a taxi to take her to the Opera House this morning. By the way, I can't quite figure out how to work the television. Is there any chance of getting BBC?"

Erik stared at him. He had brought the woman Erik loved to the country without telling him and his main priority was getting a television channel. Nadir simply smiled serenely, passing coffee to Christine. She accepted it silently and Nadir rubbed his hands in a businesslike manner.

"Well, I think I'll take a walk. Back soon." He vanished. Erik stared after him and then shook his head in disbelief.

"That was… odd." He said slowly. Christine nodded, staring at her coffee. All the doubts were back, and they'd brought friends.

Erik watched her for a moment and then asked quietly,

"Why did you agree to come? I'd have thought that you'd refuse without question."

"Because I wanted to see you." She said quietly. She lifted her eyes to meet his. "Erik, I was angry with you. Not so much for leaving, but not thinking to tell me first."

"I wanted to tell you. For days, I just kept telling myself 'you've got to tell her before its too late' but every time I saw you I just… I couldn't do it." He admitted.

She considered him for a moment and then put her coffee cup down on a nearby surface, turning and walking slowly around the large living space, stopping by the windows, offering an incredible view of the bustling city. She looked out and then turned to look at Erik again, from across the room. For some reason, putting this space between them made things easier. Almost as if it were a barrier, protecting her from anything he might say that could hurt her.

Erik noticed the suddenly guarded expression on her face and wasn't entirely unsure that he didn't have a similar look on his own features. Christine seemed at a loss of what to say. Eventually she settled for,

"How is the Opera going?"

"It's going well. We haven't been doing much yet. Running though the score, some basic choreography. We've got several months of practise yet." Erik said slowly. Christine nodded and began to pick at her fingernail, a nervous habit.

After some time they both began to speak, stopping when they realised the other was talking. Christine smiled faintly.

"You go first." She said.

"Very well. Christine, I… I meant what I said. I _do_ want to be with you. And you clearly think that there is a way of making this work. I'll do anything. Whatever I may have led you to believe, you mean far more to me than a career in an Opera House." Erik said solemnly. He breathed deeply and said, "I want to make you happy, Christine. Whatever it takes."

Christine gazed at him and then smiled slightly. She tucked her hair behind her ears and began to think things through sensibly.

"OK… obviously you need to be here. And I need to be in England, to finish my course. Unless I take a gap year, which is always an option. But then there's the house and my friends and Trister and Trisha, Jack and the girls…" She fell silent, thinking. Erik considered too and then said,

"Or you stay in England and fly out during holidays and even some weekends."

"That could work too." Christine agreed. She looked at him and said quietly, "But if this show goes well, which it will because you couldn't produce anything less than perfection, they'll want you to do more shows, won't they?"

Erik hadn't thought of that.

"It's a possibility." He admitted.

"And if that happened…" She couldn't finish. The idea of moving out here wasn't so terrible. She hadn't seen much of New York, but she had always wanted to visit and see the sights. It would be a wonderful experience to live here. The problem was what she was leaving behind. Her family, her friends, her home. Her parents.

Erik saw the doubt in her face and crossed the room, not moving close enough to touch her. Not yet. But he said,

"I could go back to England after the show. Turn them down, if they ask me to do more work."

"Don't be an idiot. You'd love to do more work here. This isn't about me, Erik, it's about us. That means the two of us." Christine said sharply. She breathed heavily. "You know what? Let's just get through this show. See how that works out. What are we going to do for now?"

Neither of them spoke, both contemplating. Eventually Erik said,

"You decide. This is going to affect you most, with your course."

"If all else fails I could pick it up here. I'm sure there's a university or an evening course doing a similar course." Christine said. She looked up at him and bit her lip. "Erik… you have to understand – I didn't mean what I said that night. I was just angry and stupid."

He looked at her, a slight frown on his brow. Christine looked down.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, her voice breaking. Erik lifted her chin with a hand, so her face looked up at his.

"Don't be." He said hoarsely, pulling her into his arms.

* * *

Nadir returned to the apartment an hour later. He supposed that that would be enough time for Christine and Erik to at least talk a few things out. Unless it turned out that they'd had a huge argument and Christine had stormed off back to the hotel, leaving Erik to sulk.

Well, that was the worst case scenario. He could hope for better, he decided as he opened the door to the penthouse. What he saw made him smile slightly. Christine and Erik were sat on the sofa, not kissing or even hugging, but both with smiles on their faces, talking in a way that suggested blood was _not_ about to be spilt.

"Is it safe for me to come in?" He asked. Christine smiled at him.

"Yes. Come on in."

"Although I'm still not sure whether I should fire you or give you a raise." Erik said, quirking an eyebrow. Nadir smiled.

"I'd prefer the second, if that helps influence your decision." He said, taking a seat in a nearby chair. He looked from one to the other. "So… had a chance to talk?"

"Yes. We're just sorting out a few details." Erik said, settling back in his chair.

"Oh?"

"I'm going to move out here for the school year. I'll bring Trister and everything I need. I can rent the house out to students; they're always looking for accommodation. And then, when I've finished university, we'll go back to England, at least for the summer. If Erik gets more work here, we'll take it as it comes." Christine explained.

Nadir smiled.

"That's a big decision." He commented.

"Tell me about it. It won't be easy. I mean, leaving Meg, Max, Tom, not to mention my family…" Her voice trailed away and Erik reached across and squeezed her hand. She smiled at him. "But I think it'll be worth it. As long as Erik isn't offered a job in Australia and neglects to tell me."

"I wouldn't dare. Not after this." Erik said solemnly. Nadir laughed but was interrupted by Christine's stomach rumbling. She flushed.

"Sorry. I was too nervous to eat breakfast."

"Food it is." Erik said and went into the kitchen. Christine knelt up and looked over the back of the sofa to stare as he dug around in the fridge, pulling out food.

"Erik, you can't cook." She said. He smirked.

"I learnt."

"In two weeks?"

"I learnt fast."

Christine turned and looked at Nadir who shrugged and turned on the television, searching for a BBC channel.

* * *

After a delicious meal and some general catching up of the past two weeks, Erik turned to Christine.

"You should call your aunt."

"I know… except I really don't want to." She admitted. Erik lifted his eyebrows and she groaned. "Oh, _fine_. But I'll wait until I get back to England."

"When are you going back?"

"In a couple of days. I've got a lot to sort out." Christine said. Erik looked at Nadir.

"Could you look into local music courses? Find out which is the best."

"Of course. I'll get on it first thing tomorrow." Nadir promised. He stood up. "But I'm going to bed now. I'm still rather jetlagged."

He disappeared into his bedroom and Erik looked at Christine.

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes. I know it's all ridiculously fast and completely illogical and no doubt everyone will think I'm being an idiot… but I want to do this." Christine said seriously. Then she smiled. "Besides… just because you can cook, doesn't mean you're capable of doing your own laundry. Bet you didn't learn that, did you?"

The look on his face was more than enough to get her laughing. Eventually she calmed down and said,

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"Can we just sort of… forget the whole thing? I don't want that hanging over us. Can't we just go back to the way we were?" Christine asked. Erik smiled.

"I think we'll manage. Now, get your shoes on."

"What? Why?" Christine asked, reaching for her shoes. Erik stood up and gave her a sly smile.

"You're in one of the most amazing cities in the world. I'm not letting you leave before you've seen it

* * *

Christine chose to go back to the hotel that night. She told Erik,

"I know we've got everything sorted now but I don't want to rush things right away."

"It's understandable." He said as they stood outside the hotel doors. She turned to face him and smiled slightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Come to the theatre and watch the rehearsal." He told her and she nodded.

"Goodnight Erik."

"Goodnight." He said and kissed her softly before turning and walking away.

Christine couldn't help smiling. He still managed to send shivers up and down her spine. Quite a talent, that.

* * *

Christine flew back to England two days later, on Tuesday. Erik didn't go with her to the airport. He had to go to the theatre and for a man who was rather self-conscious and wore a mask, a crowded airport terminal wasn't the most inviting place for him to visit. Nadir went with her instead and when they reached her gate, he turned to her.

"Make sure you call Erik as soon as you get home, or he'll have my head."

"I promise." Christine laughed and hugged him, to his surprise. "Thanks for persuading me to come, Nadir."

He smiled.

"You're welcome. But the next time you have an argument, try to stay on the same continent. It makes life that much easier."

"OK, it's a deal. Goodbye, Nadir."

"Have a safe flight." He said and stepped back.

Christine turned and handed her passport and ticket to the attendant before moving through the corridor to the plane.

* * *

She dumped her things in the hallway when she got home and went to the telephone. There were two messages, both from Trisha.

_It's only me, Christine. Just checking in to see how you are. All me back._

_It's Trisha again. Is everything OK or did you just not get my other message? Call me soon, Christine._

Christine dialled her number as she went to the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jack, it's Christine."

"Hey Christine. Where've you been? Trisha left a couple of messages for you."

"I know, I just got them. I've been… away."

"Why do I sense that there's more to this then you're letting on?" He asked shrewdly. Christine lifted her eyebrows.

"Because you're a very intuitive man."

"Hmm. Here's Trisha."

A moment later Trisha's voice sounded.

"Christine?"

"Hi Trisha."

"Is everything OK?" Her aunt asked worriedly. Christine smiled.

"It's fine. I had spur of the moment trip."

"Trip to where?"

"Uh… New York." There was stunned silence. Christine waited nervously for a reaction.

"You went to see him?"

"Yeah. I don't know why I did it. But Nadir showed up on my doorstep with a ticket and asked if I wanted to come and I just said yes before I even thought about it." Christine said, pouring herself some water.

"What happened?"

"Well… we've talked things through and… I'm moving out to New York. Just for the school year. I'm going to finish my course there and then Erik and I are going to come back to England, at least for a while."

"Christine, are you sure about this? It's a huge commitment."

"I know. And yes, I am sure. I need him, Trisha. I know that sounds stupid, but I'll do anything to be with him." Christine said quietly.

For a while, her aunt didn't speak. And then she said,

"It's your choice, Christine. But God help me, if you don't stay in contact, I'll come to New York myself and kick your backside from there to France!"

* * *

When Christine got to Meg's house, her friend was in the back garden with Trister, Tom and Max. Christine heard them talking and walked around the side of the house, leaning over the fence.

"Hey guys." She said. They all looked up and Meg jumped.

"Oh my god, Christine!"

"When did you get back?"

"What's going on?"

Christine opened the gate and went through. She was instantly knocked over by Trister launching himself at her. She laughed and hugged the wriggling dog, getting to her feet.

"OK, I missed you too." She sat down on the grass beside her friends and Meg grinned at her.

"OK, what happened with Erik? _Please_ let it be good news!"

"Partly good, partly bad." Christine said. Tom lifted an eyebrow.

"OK, what's the good news?"

"The good news is that Erik and I made up. We sorted everything out and… well, I love him, so it worked out quite well really."

"And the bad news?" Max asked.

Christine hesitated and then said,

"The bad news is… I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Leaving where?" Tom said.

"I'm leaving here. I'm going to America." Christine said quietly. They all stared at her and she pressed on. "I'm going to sort things out here. Nadir's finding me a course in New York, so I can finish my music. This is only until the summer, then we're coming back. And I'll probably be coming back for Christmas as well. I'm going to rent the house out to students. Or you three could take it, if you wanted. I'd rather have someone I know living there than a load of strangers and it'd be _really_ good if one of you would say something."

She looked worriedly from one face to another. Eventually Meg said,

"I can't believe you're leaving… I mean, that's unbelievably cool, but… oh, Christine." She reached over and pulled Christine into a hug. Christine closed her eyes, feeling tears threatening. Eventually Meg straightened and smiled tearfully.

"When do you leave?"

"As soon as I've wrapped everything up here. A couple of weeks, maybe?"

"I can't believe this." Max said.

They all looked at him. He was staring at Christine.

"Christine, don't you remember what he did to you? For god's sake, grow a _brain_!"

"Max-"

But he had gotten up and was storming away towards the gate. Christine jumped up and ran after him, catching up with him just in front of the house.

"Max, wait!"

He stopped and turned to her. Christine stared at him.

"Why are you so angry?"

"There about a billion different answers to that question. The most obvious being that I don't want you to go. Christine, you're one of my best friends. And, whether I like it or not, I'm still very much in love with you. And don't look all shocked, because you know it as well as I do."

He took a deep breath and the anger in his face changed to one of resignation and silence.

"But you love him. Obviously you do. I doubt there are any other guys you'd fly half way around the world to see on the spur of the moment. So I think it'd be better if I just left you alone for a while."

"Max, no." Christine said, tears rising again. He looked at her sadly.

"What do you want me to say, Christine?"

"Say you'll be my friend. Don't… God, Max, do you have any idea what you mean to me? No, I don't feel the same way about you that I do about him, but you were the one who was there to help me when he left. You helped me all the way through _The Phantom of the Opera,_ you're one of the kindest and most wonderful people I've ever met. And I'm not going to let you go just like that, because you're too important." She said furiously.

Max stared at her and he couldn't help giving a very tiny grin.

"Dear God, you can be scary, woman."

"Don't cross me again or I'll have to go full force on you." She said jokingly. "I mean it, Max. I'm not letting you go without a fight."

"No fighting." Max agreed. Christine nodded.

"OK. Good. Do I get a hug now?"

He grinned and held out his arms. She hugged him tightly.

"And, if it helps, I brought souvenirs."

"It helps a little." He admitted, an arm around her shoulder as they moved back towards the garden, where Meg and Tom were waiting.

* * *

The hardest part was sorting through her parent's things. Meg, Max, and Tom had agreed to housesit for her (not that Christine suspected that it would be much of a burden for them, they were there most of the time anyway) and were helping her to sort through her things.

"We can leave the music room alone. That's not a problem." Meg said.

But Christine had decided that it was time to say goodbye to a few things. So, a few days later, she went up to her parents room with Meg and several boxes. Christine put the boxes she was carrying down and looked around. Meg waited in the doorway, watching sadly.

Christine moved slowly over to her mother's wardrobe. The clothes still hung inside, a lingering scent of perfume about them. Christine stood still for a moment and then reached inside and pulled out a dress. It was a simple summer one, with a delicate flower pattern on it. Christine didn't stop to look at it or do anything. She simply turned, folded the dress and placed it in the box before turning back to fetch the next piece of clothing. Meg went to the bookcase and began to put books into a box. They worked in silence until they had finished and have moved all of the boxes out to the landing.

"You can have this room, if you want. Or one of the guys." Christine said quietly. Meg frowned.

"Are you sure?"

Christine glanced back into the room.

"Yes. It's just a room now." She had overcome her fear. She didn't need to be afraid of this room anymore. So she turned off the light and closed the door.

* * *

Max and Tom were in the kitchen when they came down.

"You OK, Christine?" Tom asked. She nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, I am. I think I'm pretty much finished. My stuff is all packed. I'll just drop a couple of boxes off at the charity shop tomorrow and then we're done."

"Wow, that's so weird! You'd better email and write and call or you'll have hell to pay." Meg warned. Christine smiled.

"I know."

The phone rang and Tom picked it up.

"Hello. Oh, hi! Yeah, she's right here." He held out the phone to Christine. "It's Erik."

Christine grinned and took the phone.

"Hi Erik."

"Hello Christine." He said, his voice warm. "How is everything going?"

"I'm pretty much finished. A few final details to sort out and then I'm America-bound."

"Good. I miss you." He said gently. Christine smiled in spite of the fact that the others were watching.

"I miss you too."

"Aw!" Meg sighed and Christine aimed a sly kick at her.

"I've got all the paperwork to bring Trister with me. How's Nadir?"

"He's fine. He's signed you up to your course and he's enjoying working at the Opera House almost as much as I am." Erik said wryly. Christine laughed.

"That's great. I'd better go, it must be really late there."

"It is." Erik admitted.

"Go to bed, Erik. Staying up until all hours isn't going to help you in the least."

He laughed slightly.

"Very well. Goodnight."

"I love you."

"And I love you." He said softly before hanging up. Christine smiled and put the phone back.

"What do you guys want for dinner? I feel like Chinese." She said. They all agreed and Christine ordered whilst the others piled boxes by the front doors in two piles. One lot heading for America, the other to charity shops.

Christine had kept several boxes of her parent's possessions, things she just couldn't bear the part with. But the rest, she decided, could go. She didn't need to cling to memories anymore.

* * *

Three days later, Christine was taken to the airport by Max, Meg and Tom. As they stood by the gate, saying their goodbyes, Christine felt incredibly sad.

"This is silly, I'll be seeing you again at Christmas!"

"That's a long way away." Tom said, hugging her for the fourth time.

"You'd better bring me some fabulous presents." Meg told her. Christine laughed and then turned to Max. He smiled.

"You'd better get going, you know. Or you'll miss your flight."

"I love you guys so much." Christine said, looking around at them. A final hug and she picked up her bag. Trister had already been taken onboard and she had been assured by the attendants that he would be taken care of.

"Call me when you get there." Meg told her and she nodded.

"OK… I'll see you at Christmas."

She turned and went through the gate, pausing to wave back at the three figures before continuing on her way, leaving behind her best friends, her worst memories and going forward to what she hoped would be a bright future.

**A/N: Hey, I got it finished! I believe there will only be one more chapter. But, as I did in 'Cold, Cold Heart', I expect it will be of an insanely long length. And considering the average length of these chapters is about twelve pages, you an expect plenty of reading. There's a lot to wrap up. I seemed to cover an awful lot just in this chapter. Thank you for all the bribery, it worked wonders, as you can see! And I'm going to need them – I just discovered that I DO need braces. I'll have a plate for six months and then traintracks. (Cries) Anyway, you'll have to wait a little while for the next chapter, if you want a long one and since I've currently got one paragraph written, there's little or no chance it'll be ready by tomorrow. **

**Lotsa luv 'n' huggles**

**Katie**


	20. Chapter 20: From Angel's Eyes

**From Angel's Eyes**

**Chapter Twenty**

Christine nervously opened the door to the room where her music class was about to take place. There were about fifteen other people in there, all chatting happily. Christine took an empty seat, feeling like a teenager in a new school. One of the students looked over at her.

"Hey, you a newbie?"

"Yeah." She said, with a nervous smile. He grinned.

"Relax, we don't bite. I'm Zack Timmons."

"Christine Danes."

"You're English?"

"Yes." She nodded. One thing she had discovered in the few weeks she had been in America was that they seemed very impressed by British accents. Apparently she just didn't appreciate it enough.

"Cool! You've moved out here?" Zack asked.

"Just until the end of the course. My boyfriend moved out for work, and I came with him." Christine explained. Zack smiled.

"Awesome. Let me introduce a few people." He called a few names and Christine smiled as they greeted her, friendly faces looking around.

She could handle this. No problem.

A few minutes later, the professor arrived. She was a cheerful woman dressed in a flowing dress, a string of beads around her neck, and a pair of reading glasses propped up on her head.

"Good morning everyone. Ah, you must be our new student!" She said, spotting Christine. "I'm Professor Reed and you must be…" She glanced through a folder, "Christine Danes?"

Christine nodded and smiled. Professor Reed beamed.

"Wonderful! Don't be shy, why don't you tell us a little about yourself? We're such a small class, we share everything!"

"Um… well, my name's Christine. I'm twenty-one, twenty-two in a couple of weeks. I'm from England and I'm moving out here until about June."

"How lovely. What made you come out?" Professor Reed.

"My boyfriend got a job out here, at the New York Opera House."

"Really? That's wonderful! I'm quite a fan of opera! What does he do?" The teacher said excitedly.

"He's producing the next show." Christine explained.

"You don't mean Erik Destler, do you?" One of the girls asked suddenly. Christine nodded.

"Yeah, that's him."

"I was just reading about him the newspaper this morning! That's so awesome!" One of the students said.

Professor Reed looked extremely excited.

"That's so wonderful! I can't wait to see what you have to offer us. Well, let's get started! We'll do some singing first, then some theory and then you can check the schedule for your one-on-one tutorial times."

Christine smiled. Yes, this would be good.

* * *

"This is a nightmare." Erik said angrily, banging a fist on the table. Christine looked up, as did Nadir.

"What's wrong?" Christine asked.

"This design just isn't working." Erik said, throwing down his pad, where the set design lay unfinished. Nadir picked it up.

"For the third scene?"

"Yes. See what you can do with it." Erik said, getting up and joining Christine in the kitchen area, where she was preparing a lasagne for dinner. Trister sat by her feet, looking hopefully up in case a piece of food fell the floor.

"Erik, sweetie, if you don't relax your head is going to explode." Christine told him. He sighed heavily, sitting on a stool and running his hands through his hair.

"This show will be the death of me." He muttered.

"You said the same thing about _The Phantom of the Opera_. You're just being overdramatic." She told him firmly, opening the oven door and slipping the lasagne inside.

Erik watched as she began to prepare a salad.

"How was class?"

"It was fine. We're just working on a few pieces from _Faust_." Christine said, with a smile. It was late November and she had been in America for about three months now. In two weeks she, Erik and Nadir would be returning to England for the holidays. She couldn't wait to see everyone again.

Erik reached over and picked up a piece of celery, biting into it. Christine scowled.

"Stop picking."

"I'm hungry." He said simply. Christine rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Erik. You're worse than Trister." The dog's ears perked up his name was mentioned and then wandered off when he realised there was no food involved. Erik smirked and picked up some cucumber.

"I've had a hard day."

"It'll get harder if you keep stealing my salad!" Christine warned. Erik was about to reply but they both turned as the refrigerator door swung open, several this fell out and Trister looked up guiltily.

"Trister!" Christine cried, closing the door.

"Where on earth did he learn to do that?" Erik asked. "That's the third time this week."

"This is why I put child locks on my fridge at home!"

"I'll be sure to have some installed." Erik commented. Christine shooed Trister away from the refrigerator and he went to sit by Erik. Erik reached over, picked up a piece of meat from the surface and slyly fed it to the animal whilst Christine's back was turned. Trister swallowed quickly and went off, tail wagging.

"I think I've got something here, Erik." Nadir said from the table. Erik crossed to him and examined the sketch.

"Yes… yes, that may work." He said slowly, sitting down. Christine glanced over and smiled at the two men, who were working hard. Nadir, she had come to view as a brother or uncle. Their relationship had never been particularly serious, full of gentle teasing and honesty. If Nadir thought something and felt Christine should know, he told her, knowing it would be better if she knew. And watching him and Nadir together was always entertaining. Nadir was often trying to tempt Erik into slipping and making a joke and although he didn't manage often, it was worth watching. Christine knew that Erik appreciated the attitude. And anything that made Erik happy, made Christine happy.

She returned to preparing the salad, the smile staying on her face.

* * *

The last class before the holidays arrived and Christine went into the music room. Her two friends, Zack and Katrina were talking cheerfully.

"Hey Christine! What's up?" Katrina asked.

"Nothing much. Been packing. I swear, I've got twice as much stuff now than when I started." Christine said, sitting at a desk and pulling her notebook out.

"Looking forward to going home?" Zack asked and she nodded, smiling,

"I can't wait. I miss everyone so much. I brought pictures with me, to show you. Want to see?"

They both confirmed that they did and Christine pulled out a photo album, filled with images. Zack and Katrina looked through, asking questions and Christine told them all about her friends. Then Zack whistled and Christine blushed as they found the picture of her in her _Music of the Night_ costume.

"Forgot that one was in there." She mumbled. Katrina grinned.

"What was all that about?"

"It was just a costume for a musical." Christine said pushing the photo album into her bag as Professor Reed came in. Zack grinned and snatched the album back.

"Well, why don't we share with the class?"

"Zack!"

"Professor Reed, Christine was in a musical! Here, she has pictures!" Zack said. Professor Reed peered over her glasses.

"Well, how lovely! Let's have a look at them." She flicked through the pictures. Christine glared at Zack.

"God, Zack, I could swear that you're just Max in disguise!"

"May I enquire as to which play it was?" Professor Reed asked, looking rather surprised at the scanty costume.

"It was _The Phantom of the Opera_."

"Oh! I _love_ that musical." Katrina said happily. Christine smiled.

"I was Christine Daae. That was actually how I met Erik. He was the producer."

"Sleeping with the producer, eh? Nice one." Zack winked. Christine simply glared at him.

* * *

Meg and Max stood in the airport. Meg shifted her weight from one foot to the other, growing increasingly impatient.

"For god's sake, what is _taking_ them so long?" She said irritably. Max rolled his eyes.

"Give them a chance, Meg. They've got to pick up their luggage, collect Trister, go through customs and a load of other stuff."

"Well, they could do it a bit quicker." Meg muttered.

A moment later she had begun to squeal, causing Max to flinch away from her.

"There they are! There they are!" She screeched, running towards the gates, where three figures had appeared. Max chased after her and when he caught up, she was hugging Christine, who had dropped her bag.

"I can't believe you're here!" Meg squealed. Christine laughed and turned to Max, hugging him tightly.

"How are you Max?"

"I'm good, Christine. How was the flight?"

"Urgh, I hate planes. It was so hot and right now I would _kill_ for a shower." She said, wrinkling her nose. Nadir smiled.

"Well, Christine, you go and get Trister. We'll take the luggage out to the car."

"OK, I'll meet you at the door." Christine smiled, and disappeared into the crowd.

Max and Meg had driven over but Erik's car had arrived for him, so Christine, Erik and Nadir climbed in and told them to follow the car back to Erik's house.

* * *

Once back at Erik's mansion, sat in the living room with hot drinks, Christine began to chatter about her course in America, all the things she had seen, about the Opera House, about Erik's work. Meg listened enviously.

"It's _so_ unfair! I want to go!"

"You could fly out and visit us." Nadir suggested. Christine smiled.

"That'd be great!"

"Well, I'm expecting some _fabulous_ Christmas presents." Meg informed her. Max rolled his eyes.

"Typical Meg."

"What does that mean?" Meg demanded. Christine laughed.

"Aw, I missed you guys so much."

"We missed you too." Max assured her.

Christine looked up at Erik, who was sat beside her and smiled.

"Well, we're here until January 3rd and then we've got to fly back." Erik said, his hand slipping around hers. "And you're all invited to Christmas Dinner. Christine's family are travelling down to join us."

"That'd be great! My parents are visiting family in Ireland, but I wanted to see Christine so I stayed." Max said. Meg nodded and smiled.

"I'll check with Mum and Dad. And I'll ask Tom. He wanted to come today, but he was working."

"I'm sure we'll find time to catch up." Christine laughed and inadvertently yawned. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep on the plane."

"No, you'd rather ask me about how long before we landed over and over." Erik said. Christine pushed him.

"I asked you about twice!"

"Every ten minutes."

"Erik!"

"Yes, Christine?" He said with a calm smile. Christine rolled her eyes.

"You're impossible, Erik Destler!"

"I do my best." He smirked.

Nadir got to his feet.

"I'm going to check in with the servants, make sure everyone's alright."

"And I have a couple of phone calls to make. I'll leave you catch up." Erik said. He pressed his lips to Christine's temple before leaving the room. Christine smiled and then blushed at the grins on her friend's faces.

"Don't!"

"We can't help it. You're so adorable." Meg teased. Max grinned and nodded.

"She's right. You're sickeningly cute together."

"Yeah, I know." Christine said, stretching. "God, it's so good to be home. I mean, New York is fantastic and everything but… I feel so much happier here."

Meg grinned and moved over to occupy Erik's vacant seat, draping an arm around Christine's shoulders.

"Good to have you back. And tomorrow we're making up lost time. You, me, Max and Tom are going out somewhere. Unless you want to invite Erik as well?"

"If you're picking the location, definitely not." Christine said.

"Shopping and movie?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

The next morning, Christine woke to find Erik still sleeping. She smiled and closed her eyes. She really needed to get up, she was meeting her friends. But she couldn't resist lying for a little longer, his arms wrapped around her. It didn't seem to matter where in the bed they fell asleep, she always woke in Erik's arms. It was a good way to start the day.

He stirred slightly and one eye cracked open. Christine smiled.

"Good morning."

"Hmm…" He sighed, nuzzling his face into her neck. She laughed lightly.

"Getting up?"

"Not yet." He said, pulling her closer. Christine smiled and rested her head against this shoulder.

"You make a really good pillow." She commented. Erik opened one eye again.

"Glad I can be of some use."

She laughed again and stretched, sitting up.

"I have to get up. I'm meeting the guys in a couple of hours."

"Very well." Erik sighed, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Christine pulled on her dressing gown and went to the wardrobe, pulling out some jeans and a shirt whilst Erik used the bathroom. It felt odd, not having to cook her own breakfast as well as Nadir and Erik's. They took it in turns. Funny, how easily you could fall into a routine.

* * *

Max, Tom and Meg were already waiting n the café, when Christine arrived. She sat down and hugged Tom.

"Hello stranger." She smiled.

"Hey Christine. Long time, no see!"

"Tell me about it." She said, taking a bite out of Max's doughnut. He scowled, but winked. She laughed.

"I'm telling you, you just can't get doughnuts like this in America."

"Really?"

"I need the home-grown stuff." Christine admitted.

"So, going to make us all insanely jealous with your stories about how fabulous America is?" Tom asked. Christine laughed.

"No. Honestly, I got so homesick. I mean, it is amazing, but I'm an English girl all the way. Zack and Katrina kept teasing me about it. They're the two people I made friends with, from my music class." She explained. "Zack was Max, but with an American accent. I think they were separated at birth."

"What makes you think that?" Max asked.

"He kept embarrassing me and invading my personal space."

"Hmm, sounds about right." Max agreed.

Meg checked her watch.

"We'd better get going if we want to catch that movie." They collected their things and began to walk to the cinema, all talking happily. Meg linked her arm through Christine's, chattering about this, that and the other.

It was almost as if she'd never left, Christine thought. It was a comforting notion.

* * *

Erik sat in his study, reading through some notes the Opera House had just faxed him. He sighed and began to write a reply, more ideas jumping into his mind. He noted them down, considered them, crossed one out and then turned back to a costume design, sketching idly.

The clock chimed five. Erik ignored it and continued to work. And then he smiled to himself. Although no sound had reached his ears, he could almost sense Christine tiptoeing along the carpet behind him. She had never yet managed to surprise him.

"Nice try, Christine." He said, without looking up from his work.

"Oh, Erik! How do you manage that every time?" She said, almost sulkily. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"One of my many talents, my dear." He said. Christine laughed and slipped her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was good. I didn't realise exactly how much I missed them." She said softly. Erik smiled slightly at her.

"You've only to ask and we could have them visit us. It's not as if I can't afford the plane tickets and we've enough room for them to stay for a couple of days."

"Do you mean it?" She asked and he nodded.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

He pushed his work into a folder and stood. Christine crossed to the fireplace, where Trister lay comfortably. She patted his head.

"You're getting spoiled. I think he's put weight on."

"You walk him three times a day, Christine. He's fine." Erik said. Christine frowned slightly and then shrugged.

"Probably. Where's Nadir?"

"Asleep. He doesn't travel well. Your aunt called as well, by the way, to confirm arrangements for Christmas."

"Are you sure you don't mind them staying here?" Christine asked. Erik smiled briefly.

"Of course not. And even if I did, they could still come because that's what you want."

"OK, now _I_ feel spoiled." Christine smiled. Erik raised an eyebrow.

"I do my best."

They left the study, Trister following them. Christine slipped her hand into Erik's, leaning her head on his shoulder as they went to the living room. There were ten days before Christmas and the servants hadn't wasted any time in decorating the house to look tastefully festive. Christine reached for the phone and called Trisha as Erik opened his book.

"Hello?" Trisha said.

"It's only me, Trisha. Erik said you called." Christine said, settling on the sofa beside Erik, who put his arm around her without even seeming to realise he was doing it.

"Ooh yes. We're hoping the weather doesn't turn bad and we'll be arriving at about midday on the twenty-third. Erik gave me the address. It's very generous of him to let us stay with you."

"You wouldn't believe how much room we've got, Trisha, it's really not a problem!" Christine laughed.

Trisha laughed too.

"Well, the girls can't wait to see you again. And I bet when this little guy is born he'll be just as excited to see his cousin Christine!"

"Aw, how long is it now? Two, three months?"

"Two and a half. The girls are over the moon. Oh, someone's at the door. I'll see you soon."

"Bye Trisha." She hung up the phone and glanced at Erik's book. "What are you reading?"

He lifted the cover and she smiled.

"A little light reading?" She teased, glancing at the cover of _The Phantom of the Opera_.

"It brings me fond memories." He said, with a sly smile. And then he got to his feet. "I was going to wait and give it to you at Christmas. But I think you should have it now."

"An early Christmas present? Really?" Christine said, watching as he went to a desk in the corner. He opened a drawer and pulled out a wrapped gift. He handed it to her with a smile. She narrowed her eyes.

"Erik…"

"Open it." He implored. She looked down at the gift and then carefully unwrapped it. A videotape fell out. It was unlabelled.

"What is it?"

"Watch it." He gestured at the television set in the corner. She got up and slid the tape into the machine as he sat down. She settled back on the sofa and pressed play. For a moment the screen was blank and then a shaky view came into shot before settling on a stage. Christine's jaw dropped.

"Erik, is this…?"

He smiled and Christine laughed as Dr Carter appeared and announced the opening of _The Phantom of the Opera_.

"I didn't know it was recorded!"

"This is one of two copies. One belongs to the university, for their records. Nadir took the liberty of making a second for my own collection." He explained. Christine laughed and settled back to watch in fascination as the play began. She put her hands over her face when she began to sing _Think of Me_.

"Oh, turn it off! It's embarrassing!"

"No, it's charming." Erik smirked. Christine poked him in the ribs and looked at the screen again. Nadir sat down on a chair.

"Ah, you finally gave it to her. So much for waiting for Christmas."

"There are other presents she can have then." Erik said casually. Nadir looked back at the screen and smiled.

"It really was rather good."

"And you're not at all biased in any way." Christine teased.

"Absolutely not." Nadir said, pretending to be offended by the suggestion. She smiled and they all carried on watching the end of the show.

It didn't seem that this had only happened five months ago. It seemed like a lifetime. Of course, so much had happened in that time. Christine smiled fondly as she remembered those daily rehearsals, the dramas that had taken place backstage, the time spent with Tom and Max, singing, dancing, laughing, crying…

She unconsciously squeezed Erik's hand. He looked down at her.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah… I'm just… yeah, I'm fine." She said quietly, leaning her head on his shoulder as she watched the _Il Muto_ scene.

* * *

Erik watched in amusement, sat on the stairs as Christine impatiently paced the entrance hall. She checked her watch for the thousandth time.

"What is taking so long? They should be here by now." She muttered.

"Christine, they're five minutes late."

"And anything could have happened to them!" Christine said, turning to him.

"Such as a traffic hold-up?"

"Or a car crash."

"Or they stopped to ask directions."

"Or they've been kidnapped!"

He stared at her. She shrugged.

"OK, maybe not kidnapped. But something bad could still have happened!" She said anxiously.

"Or perhaps they're just running a little late. If they're not here in an hour, then you can begin to worry. Until then, calm down." Erik said. Christine looked at him for a moment and then smiled.

"OK. I'm calm." She settled onto the stairs beside him and sighed. "I'm so nervous…"

"Why?"

"Because you're meeting my family!"

"I've already met them."

"I know, but then you were meeting them as my producer. Now you're meeting them as my boyfriend." Christine pointed out.

Erik lifted an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure that I like the term 'boyfriend'."

"But you are my boyfriend."

"It seems rather teenage. Couldn't we settle for partner?"

"Whatever you want." She laughed. There was the sound of a car coming up the drive and she dashed to the door, pulling it open.

"Erik, they're here!" She cried, running outside. Erik smiled and went to the open door. Christine had run out to the car that had parked at the bottom of the steps and was hugging the people who had just emerged from it. Two young girls wrapped up in rumpled clothes, their father stretching after the long drive and a pregnant woman who was embracing Christine.

Christine turned and waved for him to join them. He slowly descended the steps and Trisha smiled at him, kissing his unmasked cheek, to his pleasant surprise.

"Erik, how are you?"

"I'm am very well, thank you. Come inside, all of you. It's far too cold to stand out here." He said, gesturing graciously towards the doors. Jack nodded.

"I'll just get the luggage."

"Please don't trouble yourself." Erik said. Even as he spoke, three servants emerged and began to unload the car. Jack handed his car keys to a fourth in surprise.

"Have the car taken to the garage." Erik said to the servant who nodded.

"Yes, Mr Destler."

They all went up the steps to the front door, Christine chattering happily to her cousins. They handed their coats to yet another servant and Erik led them into the sitting room, where coffee and hot chocolate was waiting for them. Melanie and Kelly sat, looking awed. Jack and Trisha looked rather impressed as well.

"You have a beautiful home, Erik." Trisha commented. Erik smiled serenely.

"I honestly can't take much credit for the decorations. I find things like that rather dull. Nadir decided on all the rooms. Christine, would you care to fetch Nadir? I'm sure he'd be delighted to see your family."

Christine rose and went to the media room. Nadir was watching a programme on the television.

"I assume they're here?" He smiled. Christine nodded and grinned.

"Coming through?"

"Of course." He got up and followed her back to the living room. Christine sat beside Kelly, who tugged her sleeve and whispered,

"Is he the Phantom of the Opera?"

Trisha and Jack exchanged a worried glance but Erik smirked. Christine smiled and said in a loud whisper,

"Sort of. He's not the real phantom."

"Did he kidnap you?" Melanie asked. Christine couldn't help giving a snort of laughter but quickly composed herself.

"No… no, I chose Erik."

"But he didn't kill anyone?" Kelly asked. Christine smiled.

"No, he didn't."

"Just checking." She said and smiled sweetly at Erik, who looked highly entertained. Christine laughed and began to pour hot chocolate for the girls.

"Looking forward to Christmas?" She asked them. Melanie nodded and said cheerfully,

"I asked for a puppy!"

"Really?" Christine said. Melanie grinned and Trisha rolled her eyes, smiling. She and Christine had already discussed this and Christine had made it hers and Erik's present to Mel. They were giving Kelly a bicycle, her parents having finally decided that she was old enough for one. Christine knew she'd love it.

"How many people are we actually having for Christmas Dinner?" Jack asked. Christine counted on her fingers.

"Us, that's seven, Meg, Max, Tom… that's ten. Or eleven if we're counting Trisha eating for two."

"Let's call it ten and a half." Trisha smiled. Nadir smiled and sipped his coffee before saying,

"There may well be snow on the way."

"A white Christmas?" Jack laughed. "That'll be the first in a while!"

"I like snow!" Melanie said excitedly.

"If the lake freezes over, we could go ice-skating." Christine agreed. Trisha blinked.

"You have a lake?"

"Most people have a garden pond – Erik has a lake." Nadir put in. Erik lifted an eyebrow.

"It was there when I bought the house." He said, almost defensively. Trisha laughed and Christine let out a giggle at the affronted look on Erik's face.

A servant entered.

"Lunch is ready in the dining room." He announced. Everyone got up and Christine smirked at Erik, letting the others move ahead.

"You're pouting."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You are!" She teased. Erik gave her a stern look and she put her arm through his. "Oh, don't sulk."

"I am neither sulking, nor pouting."

"Whatever you say." She said solemnly, but couldn't help grinning. Much to Erik's irritation.

* * *

That evening, once the girls were in bed Erik, Nadir and Jack went into the media room, talking amiably, leaving Christine and Trisha in the sitting room. Christine drew her legs up under her, sitting comfortably on the sofa whilst Trisha settled into a chair, hands resting on her swollen stomach.

"How are you doing, Christine?" She asked. Christine smiled.

"I'm good. I'm great. Glad to be home though."

"Homesick?"

"Hmm. But I do like it in New York. Erik loves it at the Opera House."

Trisha smiled softly.

"It's serious then?"

"I wouldn't move across the Atlantic in a hurry for anyone else." Christine agreed. "I don't think it gets much more serious."

"Well, I suppose marriage is more serious."

"Trisha, we've only been together for six months. Let's not rush things." She laughed. Trisha smiled too.

"I'm glad you're happy. You deserve it."

Christine looked down at her lap, smiling. She _was_ happy. She didn't know if she deserved it as much as Trisha seemed to think she did, but she was happy. And she wasn't about to complain.

"When are you going back?"

"January 3rd. Erik can't afford to be away any longer. He only came back because he knew how much I wanted to see everyone. He spends most of the day working on the opera anyway!" Christine laughed. Trisha laughed too.

"He takes it seriously?"

"More seriously than anything else. He's an absolute genius, Trisha. And I'm not just saying that because I'm obliged to. He really is incredible."

"And you're evidently his number one fan." Trisha teased. Christine looked proud.

"You bet I am!"

* * *

The next day was Christmas Eve, and Christine found herself just as excited as Melanie and Kelly about the occasion. The few years, she had joined Trisha and Jack at their house. Now it was her turn to play the hostess and she took the role in stride. Erik found it rather entertaining but was proud at the same time.

He sat in the living room with her and her family, Nadir by the window and watched as Christine sat no the floor with Trister and Kelly, as they fed the dog treats in return for tricks. She laughed as he pawed at her, looking for a chocolate drop. Erik couldn't help giving a slight smile at her joy.

"Any sign of snow?" Jack asked Nadir. He shook his head.

"Not yet. Perhaps this afternoon. Christine, you should probably take Trister for a walk now before it starts."

"Will do. Who's coming? We can just take him around the grounds."

"I think I'll take a nap." Trisha said. Jack said,

"I'll stay here as well. Why don't you take the girls?"

"OK. Come on, Erik."

"What?" Erik said, looking up sharply. Christine smiled.

"You're not getting out of it. Come on."

He stared at her and then sighed.

"Very well." She smiled and pulled him up.

"Coming Nadir?"

"Yes, I think I will." Nadir said. They went into the entrance hall and put on their coats, Christine helping Kelly with hers. Erik whistled to Trister who bounded after them. Nadir opened a door and they went out into the chilly grounds. A light frost covered the ground and the grass crunched beneath their feet. Kelly and Melanie ran ahead with Trister, laughing and screaming. Nadir, rather artfully, moved to join them, leaving Christine and Erik alone.

Erik reached out and took Christine's hand. She smiled and moved closer to him as they walked, their breath coming out in white clouds.

"Christmas Eve already." She commented. He smiled slightly.

"So it would appear."

"You realise I'm going to have get everyone up insanely early in order to open presents?"

"How early?"

"I'm thinking six, but the girls will probably have you up long before then." She grinned.

"It's good that I'm an early riser then." He said dryly. Christine laughed and leant her head against his shoulder as they followed the others.

They walked the edge of the grounds, which took some time in itself. When they returned to the house, a car was crawling up the drive. Christine broke away from Erik, running forward to greet Tom, Max and Meg as they climbed out.

"Hey guys!" She said, hugging each of them. "These are my cousins, Melanie and Kelly. They saw the show! Mel, Kelly, this is Max, Meg and Tom. Max and Tom were the Phantom and Raoul."

Melanie and Kelly instantly glared at Tom, who stepped back in surprise.

"What did I do?" He asked. Christine laughed.

"They think Christine should have stayed with the Phantom."

"Too right!" Max grinned. Christine elbowed him and looked at her cousins.

"Don't worry – Tom's a great guy. You don't need to hate him."

They still looked at him suspiciously and Max laughed.

"See, Tom? Everyone likes me best."

"Better shrink that head of yours, Max; you'll never fit through the front doors." Christine told him. Max simply grinned and shrugged. Nadir looked around at them.

"Warm drinks are needed, I think."

They all went inside and settled in the living room with drinks, Melanie sitting next to Max and paying rapt attention to everything he said. Christine and Meg exchanged an amused glance. Nadir was telling them an amusing story when the telephone rang. Christine answered and held it to Erik.

"The Opera House." He frowned and took the receiver.

"Yes?"

Nadir continued his story but they all fell silent as Erik began to argue with the person on the other end of the phone.

"No, I sent the details through yesterday. Everything you needed was in there!" He said angrily. His fingers dug into his hair in fury. Then his jaw dropped. "_Pregnant?_ What do you mean pregnant?"

He listened in horror as the person from the Opera House explained the situation.

"What about the understudy? …Oh for God's sake, why are we even paying you? No, I will sort it out when I return." He hung up without saying goodbye, slamming the phone furiously onto the receiver. Nadir frowned.

"What's happened?"

"Michelle has gotten herself pregnant. _Pregnant_. We have got TWO months until the Opera opens and our star is pregnant! And her understudy is in hospital with tonsillitis, she'll never recover in time!" Erik said angrily.

Nadir groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"There isn't time to audition a new person and teach her the score." He said. Erik paced the room, thinking furiously.

"One of the chorus, perhaps?" Nadir suggested.

"None of them have the skill for solo singing."

"One of the other understudies?" Tom said.

"They don't have the correct range. The other parts are too different." Erik pointed out. Christine got up and slipped her arms around him.

"Erik, calm down. It'll be fine, you'll work something out."

He closed his eyes. How did she do that? Always made him feel safe and calm. It would be rather irritating, since he was so panicked about the damned opera.

"Which part did Michelle have?" Christine asked. She knew the opera almost as well as Erik and Nadir, having listened to them discussing it, seen designs and heard Erik playing it on the piano and violin.

"Karine." Erik replied glumly. "The leading female part."

Christine glanced at her cousins.

"Why don't you take Trister to the kitchen and give him some dinner?" They left obediently and Erik sat down. Meg asked,

"Couldn't one of the other leads sing it, and have their understudy do their part?"

"Impossible. There is only one other female with an understudy, and she doesn't have the right range." Nadir said.

"I can't believe this." Erik said, getting up to pace again. Christine sighed, knowing what this would mean. The whole opera could go under. She chewed her nail, trying to think of a solution.

And then everyone stared at Nadir as he began to laugh. Erik blinked and then glared.

"I'm glad you find the whole situation so terribly amusing!"

"Grant me an indulgence." Nadir requested. Erik looked at him and then sighed.

"Fine. What have you got to say?"

"Christine Danes could sing it, sir." Nadir said triumphantly.

Christine's head snapped up so quickly her neck cracked. She winced, rubbing the back of her neck and she and Erik both stared at the dark-skinned man, who was grinning at his own ingenious solution.

"I hate to break it to you, Nadir, but repeating lines from _The Phantom of the Opera_ isn't going to improve Erik's mood." She pointed out. Nadir shrugged.

"Why couldn't you do it? You've got the range, the skill and you know the opera almost off by heart."

"What about her course?" Erik said.

"She could take an evening course, or simply finish it afterwards." Nadir said.

"Nadir, you're insane." Christine said simply. "You've actually lost it. Erik, tell him he's lost it."

She turned to the masked man, only to find him staring at her. Christine stared back and then got to her feet, moving away from him.

"Insanity is contagious now? Erik, I _can't_."

"You could. It wouldn't be the perfect solution, since you haven't got any experience in a professional theatre, but it'll be better than finding someone new and having to teach her the entire score."

"But… but I don't know _how_!"

"It'll be very much the same as _The Phantom of the Opera_. But a little more professional." Nadir said.

"Go for it, Christine! Who knows when you'll get another chance like this?" Max pointed out.

Christine felt dizzy. She leant against the wall, hands in her hair.

"I…"

"Christine." Erik said quietly. She looked at him and he said sincerely, "Christine, give me a chance. Let me teach you the rest of the music, show you the choreography. If it isn't working out, I'll try and find someone else. But please try."

She gazed at him and then gave a weak smile.

"So we're in for a working holiday then?"

"Looks like it." Erik said. Christine sighed, resolved herself and nodded.

"We've got a just over a week. Show me what you've got." She said resolutely.

* * *

Christmas Day arrived and Erik was woken by Christine poking him in the ribs.

"What?" He mumbled, refusing to open his eyes.

"C'mon! It's Christmas!"

"Christine, what time is it?"

"Seven 'o' clock. I think Trisha knocked the girls out with nytol last night, because they've only just woken up."

She had already put on a dressing gown. Erik rolled over, sleepy. Christine laughed and pulled his arm, forcing him to roll onto his back.

"Come on! Everyone's waiting! Here, put this on." She gave him a dressing gown. He put it on over his trousers and then looked at her tiredly.

"Let's get it over with then."

"That's the happy holiday spirit." She said cheerfully, pulling him towards the door.

Everyone else was sat in the living room, beside the enormous tree. Presents were put out under it, enticing in their colourful paper. Erik had asked the cook to come in and put the food out so they could prepare it themselves, so the cook would be able to spend Christmas at home, so Christine and Trisha had agreed to share the cooking. But breakfast would have to wait. Because there was a far more important task at hand.

Present opening.

Everyone sat around in various chairs, or on the floor. Erik sat in his usual armchair and Christine knelt on the floor beside it, leaning against his legs as Melanie and Kelly explored the presents, searching for their own. Trisha glanced at Christine and nodded. Christine smiled.

"Mel? Why don't you go to the cloakroom? I think I left one of your presents in there."

"That's a silly place to leave a present." Kelly commented as Melanie went out. They all went quiet and laughed as they heard the delighted shrieks of Melanie as she found the small puppy waiting for her. She rushed back into the living room, clutching the wriggling animal. Trister instantly leapt up to greet the dog and they began to chase each other around the living room whilst everyone opened presents.

An hour later, among a sea of wrapping paper, everyone sat examining their gifts. Christine was admiring a gorgeous necklace from Erik when Nadir suggested they eat breakfast. They all adjourned to the dining room, where the cook had had the foresight to set food out for them before disappearing home.

Over the cheerful chatter, Erik said quietly to Christine,

"Thank you for the gift." She smiled.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it." She told him. He lifted an eyebrow, admiring the soundtrack of _The Phantom of the Opera_, signed by none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber. He had no idea where she'd found it but he was certainly grateful.

* * *

It was one of those cheerful Christmases, full of friends, family and laughter. Meg, Max and Tom arrived shortly after breakfast and more presents were exchanged. They spent the day talking, walking the grounds in hope of the non-arriving snow, playing with the new puppy (now named Benji) and Trister as well as using their new gifts and eating copious amounts of food.

It was nearly midnight when they decided it was time for bed, Max, Meg and Tom had already gone. Mel and Kelly were already fast asleep upstairs, Benji curled up on the foot of Mel's bed. Trisha was dozing on the sofa and Jack helped her upstairs. Nadir smiled at Christine and Erik.

"I'll lock up. You go ahead."

"Thanks Nadir. Merry Christmas." Christine said and kissed his cheek before going upstairs with Erik. She undressed, pulled on a nightshirt and collapsed onto the bed.

"I'm so _tired_."

"I would say it's your own fault for getting up so early, but I wouldn't because I'm too kind." Erik commented, climbing into the bed beside her. She pulled a face at him, yawned and nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, Erik."

"Merry Christmas." He murmured in reply. Within a few minutes she was sleeping. Erik looked down at her serene face and brushing a dark lock out of her face before allowing himself to fall asleep.

* * *

It was January 22nd. Christine frowned as she sat on the sofa in the penthouse, reading over a score. She had already informed Professor Reed that she had to drop out. Far from being disappointed, Professor Reed had been delighted that Christine had a chance in the New York Opera House. Christine had also been delighted, if apprehensive. Thankfully, everyone at the opera house had been amazingly kind to her and were helping her out wherever possible. Christine suspected this might slightly have something to do with the fact that she was sleeping with the producer.

Nadir had gone out for the evening with some friends, leaving Erik and Christine alone. Erik was currently preparing dinner, whilst Christine went over the scenes they had rehearsed that day. She made a few notes and then stretched her arms up above her head, yawning.

"Dinner in twenty minutes." Erik said, standing behind the sofa and looking down at her. She smiled up at him.

"Yum. I'm starving."

"Finished going over it?"

"Pretty much. I think I've got this scene down." She said, closing the score.

"Do you want to go through the song again?"

"Couldn't hurt."

She stood and followed him to the piano. He sat down and began to play the introduction. Christine waited for the cue before launching into song. Erik allowed himself a smile, listening in pleasure to her voice. He paused and said,

"Watch your breathing there." She nodded and scribbled it down in her score, rereading the line.

Erik watched carefully as she read the music. He found himself marvelling again at her. Her smooth skin, her gorgeous dark hair and those eyes, the eyes that made him want to pull her to him in case she disappeared. Her lips moved silently as she read the lyrics and a slight frown crossed her brow as she concentrated hard.

He had to say something. Now, before he lost his nerve. Erik swallowed hard and said, in a tone one would use when asking if you took milk in your tea,

"Will you marry me?"

Christine froze and then looked at him. Her face was completely straight, without even the slightest hint of shock. Erik looked back, being sure to keep his own face emotionless.

"Yes." She said simply. Erik gazed at her for a moment and then a slight smile crossed his face. Christine returned it. Erik cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Would you mind if I was embarrassingly honest?"

"Please do be."

"I didn't plan to do that. So… at this current point in time, I don't actually have a ring for you."

Christine burst out laughing, leaning against the piano. Erik could feel the heat rising in his face. She smiled widely.

"Erik… oh, you're so amazing, do you know that?"

"For proposing on the spur of the moment without a ring?" He said doubtfully. Christine laughed again.

"No. For being so hopelessly romantic without even meaning to."

She moved around and slipped her arms around his neck. He kissed her, cupping her face with his hands before smiling at her.

"You said yes." He said, as if just realising the fact. Christine smiled.

"I did."

"After rehearsal tomorrow, we can go to a jeweller's and you can choose one." He promised. She kissed him and nodded.

"OK, deal."

They looked up as the front door opened and Nadir came in.

"Sorry for being back so early. Had a change of plans, hope you don't mind." He said, dropping his briefcase by the door and pulling off his jacket. He sniffed and smiled. "That smells good. Who's cooking?"

"Erik. Pork chops with new potatoes and salad." Christine said. Nadir grinned.

"Sounds marvellous. So… what are you two up to? Or would I rather not know?"

"We're just practising some music." Erik said casually.

"And then we decided to get engaged."

"And now we're making plans to go and get a ring tomorrow."

"And now I think I'll make a pot of tea. Who wants some?" Christine said airily, heading towards the kitchen.

Nadir simply blinked.

"Oh… I'll have some, thank you Christine." He said casually and went to turn on the television to watch the evening news. Erik joined him and Nadir gave him a sideways look.

"Did you do it on an impulse?"

"Yes. How can you tell?"

"You look rather bewildered. The last time you looked that confused, Christine had shown up at the Opera House."

"How do you know? You weren't even there."

"They have security cameras, you know." Nadir said lightly, "And anyway, I would have known if you'd planned it."

"How?"

"You pay me to pay ridiculously close attention to things."

"When I hired you, I meant for you to pay attention to business. Not to me." Erik grumbled.

"Some things you just can't stop doing." Nadir said cheerfully. "Is dinner ready yet?"

* * *

Christine woke in the middle of the night to find Erik was still awake. She smiled gently.

"Everything OK?"

"Yes. I just like to watch you sleep."

"Carry on then." She giggled and closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest. He ran his hand through her dark hair and then pressed his lips to her head.

"I love you." He murmured.

"Love you too." She said sleepily. Erik smiled, holding her a little tighter.

* * *

In the end, there was quite a lot that you could say about Christine Danes. She was still, in general, an ordinary girl. Almost as ordinary as they came.

Twenty-two, billionaire boyfriend, worked in an opera house, lived in New York for several months with her boyfriend and his best friend, engaged, three best friends, a dog.

Well… maybe she was a little less ordinary than when her story began. But the point is that she found out that she could be happy. It didn't take that much really.

Just a main part in a university musical, some interfering friends, having her partner fly halfway around the world, running after him, earning a part in an opera, having her partner run over her dog, almost getting killed by a piece of falling equipment, some rather suggestive photographs in a newspaper and an impromptu proposal.

And all she had to do was see the world from Angel's Eyes.

**A/N: Well… it's over. I really don't know what to say – so I'm going to start with thank you. That's to the reviewers. You guys rock my world. I really want to name every single of you, but I'd be here all day! **

**What really amazes me is that this story is less than half as long as 'Cold, Cold Heart' and has almost as many reviews! And I'm also going to apologise for making you wait for this last chapter. I had a seriously bad couple of days and I just couldn't bring myself to write anything. Hope this makes up for it!**

**Several people have asked about my next project. Well, usually by the time I've finished a story I've already got an idea for a new one. But that didn't happen this time. So I'm going to be beta-ing a couple of stories for people as well as co-writing a fic with Moonjava. Keep an eye out for it; it's going to be a real challenge for me!**

**And so again, thank you. You people are amazing. The fact that you stuck around, read my story and then actually bothered to tell me what you think is just amazing. Nothing nicer than getting home, checking my emails and finding thirty-odd emails waiting for me. I love you all so much!**

**Thank you yet again and now I leave you with lots of love and huggles**

**Katie**


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